Shift in luck causing regression year for Lions

ALLEN PARK, Mich. In retrospect, the Detroit Lions were never as good as their 10-win season last year suggested. Theyre also not as bad as 4-9 looks this year with three games remaining. Reality is somewhere in-between. If they win Sunday at Arizona -- and the Lions are 6-point favorites -- they will be 15-15 since the start of the 2011 season, which is just about right. Theyre a .500-type of team in the NFL right now. Its a long way from the 0-16 just four years ago, but its also a long way to the Super Bowl. The Lions are right in the middle of this process. The difference between the last two seasons simply comes down to winning close games and getting good breaks vs. losing close games and not getting those breaks. Its the fine line walked in this league when youre in the middle of the parity pack. A year ago, things fell into place perfectly. They won several games they probably shouldnt have won: Rallying from 20 points down at halftime at Minnesota. Overcoming a ...