The Detroit Lions have equaled the franchise record for most consecutive victories and stand alone atop the NFC standings.They still have plenty of obstacles to clear to remain at that perch. Even the NFC North remains up for grabs and they’ll try to create a little more separation when they host the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night.The Lions (11-1), who have won 10 straight, haven’t been able to shake free from Minnesota (10-2) or Green Bay (9-3). Detroit will host Minnesota, which has won five straight, in the regular-season finale next month.The Packers have remained in contention by winning seven of their last eight, with the only loss coming at the hands of the Lions. Detroit opened up a 21-point lead early in the third quarter and held on for a 24-14 victory.Lions coach Dan Campbell says the fun really begins now.”The best part of all of this — we’re in playoff football right now, that’s where we’re at,” he said. “We’re in December, and our schedule says that. Man, we play tough opponent after tough opponent — we’ve got plenty coming up. So, man, this is the type of stuff that you live for and it’s also the type of stuff that gets you ready for the tournament.”So, yeah, we’re a resilient bunch and nothing’s going to change that. We’ve just got to worry about the one in front of us.”Detroit is coming off a 23-20 win over Chicago on Thanksgiving Day in which it nearly blew a 16-point lead. The Bears’ poor clock management cost them an opportunity to send the game into overtime and led to coach Matt Eberflus’ firing.The Lions have been hit with a wave of injuries, particularly on the defensive side. They signed four players over the past week to fortify their depth.”I know the elephant in the room is all the injuries that have happened with us on the defensive side,” defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said. “Our personnel staff does a really good job of acquiring players that fit exactly who we are. I would say this, it’s not the playbook that’s the most important thing for these guys to come in and learn. It’s the style of play that we have and that’s easy to learn.”Jared Goff has thrown for six touchdowns and zero interceptions in the past three games after tossing five picks against the Houston Texans on Nov. 10.
