The Lions learned nothing from their loss to the Chiefs

Every team is trying to win in the NFL, but it's the games they lose that can be the most valuable teaching tools. Losing is an opportunity for self-reflection and improvement, a clear indication of what went wrong and what needs to change so that it doesn't happen again. The very best teams grow from losses. That's what makes them the best.

The Kansas City Chiefs have been the most successful franchise of the last decade. They've won three Super Bowls and lost two others. Last season's Super Bowl defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles was the most humbling, as they got blown out by a 40-22 score that didn't even accurately convey just how lopsided the game really was.

Many teams have lost the Super Bowl and then faded into obscurity, but the Chiefs have used that setback as a chance to evolve. It hasn't been a smooth road, as they're just 3-3 on the season, but there are signs that they're figuring out how to get back to being their best selves. The offense has looked much better after scuffling through most of last year, with a higher success rate and more explosive plays. Sunday night's emphatic win over the 4-1 Lions was proof of concept that Andy Reid's team will still have something to say about who lifts the Lombardi Trophy this year.

On the other side of the coin, the Lions have been a team on the rise the last couple of years. Dan Campbell has worked wonders in the Motor City, leading his Lions to an NFC title game appearance two seasons ago and an NFC-best 15-2 record last year that was cut short in the playoffs by a hot Commanders team and an insurmountable number of injuries.

Since losing to the Packers in Week 1, the Lions have looked like arguably the best team in football. They laid the smack down on the Bears and former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson in a 31-point Week 2 win, then they marched into Baltimore and beat the Ravens on Monday Night Football, a stage where Lamar Jackson has been almost invincible in his career. They followed that by hanging a combined 71 points on the hapless Browns and Bengals.

Many people expected another statement win from the Lions against a Chiefs team that didn't seem to have the same mojo as years past, but instead, the Chiefs reminded us who they were and the Lions gave us reason to question whether they have what it takes to really get over the hump and reach the first Super Bowl in franchise history.

Losing a primetime game at Arrowhead to a desperate Chiefs team is no reason to be ashamed, and certainly no reason to be crossed off the list of contenders. It's the way the Lions reacted in the aftermath that should have their fans worried.

The Lions need a dose of humility before they take the next step

Vince Lombardi once said, "Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser." The Lions have learned the wrong lesson from those words. After the game, star safety Brian Branch refused to shake Patrick Mahomes' hand, then he mushed Juju Smith-Schuster in the face as retaliation for a cheap shot Juju had given him during the game. A brawl ensued, and Branch has now been suspended for this week's game against the Bucs. He's appealed, but if he doesn't win, he'll be sorely missed against MVP frontrunner Baker Mayfield in a game that will have big playoff seeding implications.

The Lions don't have to take the loss sitting down. That's not their way, as they've been almost maniacally confident and aggressive under Campbell. They go for it on fourth down more than any team in the league, and they're often rewarded for it. This is a team that doesn't just want to win, they want to pile up the points so that the final score isn't even close. Their record these last three years is a testament to this mindset.

Branch has taken the concept of not being a good loser too far, though, and now he and his team are paying for it. He's also not the only one in silver and blue who showed a lack of maturity after the game, as his fellow safety Kerby Joseph was asked in the locker room how difficult it is to play against Mahomes and he offered the bewildering response of, "S*** ain't hard at all, bro. Don't even say it's difficult. That s*** ain't hard. Just gotta do our jobs."

I get not wanting to fawn over an opposing player, especially in the wake of a tough loss, but Mahomes is a three-time Super Bowl MVP who just threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns on you without turning the ball over once. Having both starting safeties show this kind of petulance doesn't bode well for the Lions' ability to answer the call when the going gets tough in January. This loss is a chance to grow, but the Lions don't seem to be taking it.

This is going to be Dan Campbell's biggest test yet as Lions coach

Campbell has turned the Lions into perennial contenders and a team that nobody wants to face. If they gave out a Coach of the Year Award for a three-year stretch, he'd be the unanimous winner for the way he's turned a laughingstock into a potential juggernaut. There's a big gap between being really good and being capable of winning a Super Bowl, though, and a huge part of that is having a mature team. To his credit, Campbell took the right tone in addressing Branch's behavior after the game, but this isn't the first time Branch has gotten out of line (he's already been fined three times this season alone), so we'll see if he backs it up.

This isn't the Chiefs' first rodeo, and Mahomes brought the difference between the two teams into sharp relief when he was interviewed after the game. Rather than fuel the fire that Branch started with his outburst, Mahomes rose above it and said, "We play the game in between the whistles. They can do all the extracurricular stuff they want to do, but we play the game in between the whistles, and we thought we played a great game today, and we'll keep this momentum moving forward."

That's how it's done, Lions. Eyes on the prize, don't engage in any silliness that doesn't matter. If the Lions are smart, they'll learn from the example the Chiefs just set. If they're not, they'll continue down this path and come up short when it counts. It's time to find out how good Dan Campbell really is.

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