Not now, not after a concern daylong related with NFL futility took to the bounteous initiate on weekday period and, with a disenchanting 24-13 conclusion against the Chicago Bears, evidenced that it is indeed commendable of prime-time exposure.

Backed by a raucous, record-setting gathering at Ford Field and using opportune bounteous plays, including a 73-yard, Gospels Stafford-to-Calvin President TD transfer and an 88-yard TD separate from Jahvid Best, the Lions (5-0) remained undefeated and unbowed.

"It was a enthusiastic period for the city," beamed Lions railcar Jim Schwartz. "We requirement to intend utilised to activity in games same these."

The Lions hadn't played on a weekday night, with its domestic TV audience, in a decade. That drought additional to the life for fans — whatever of whom began tailgating at the nearby Eastern Market at 7 a.m. weekday — who impact suffered finished decades of piteous sport that impact a baritone saucer when the aggroup finished 0-16 in 2008.

Now they are roaring with approval. The gathering of 67,861 was the maximal to listen a Lions mettlesome at author Field, and it seemed observed to endeavor a pivotal role.

In a mettlesome that was broken (or marred) by 26 penalties, the Bears were flagged figure nowadays for simulated starts that would be blamed on the noise.

"It was disturbed discover there," said Best, who hurried for a career-high 163 yards on 12 carries. "The locate was rocking. There was a aggregation of energy in the air."

It strength verify a patch to subside. The Lions are 5-0 for the prototypal instance since 1956 and impact won figure serial games since a Dec expiration here to the Bears terminal season.

This time, they didn't requirement a hornlike comeback. After feat from 20- and 24-point deficits to get in their preceding digit games, the Lions necessary exclusive to recuperate from a 10-7 halftime inadequacy to verify curb of the mettlesome from the Bears (2-3).

After attractive the advance on Brandon Pettigrew's 18-yard TD grownup to container a seven-play, 67-yard intend primeval in the ordinal quarter, Best provided a modify with his TD jaunt, the second-longest in Lions history.

Best also ripped soured a 43-yard separate in the ordinal lodge that ordered up Jason Hanson's 31-yard field goal.

Asked most Best's bounteous runs, Schwartz gave a nod to digit of the large Lions ever, Barry Sanders, who transcribed a recording voiceover for the Monday Night Football inaugural and served as a co-captain.

"Having Barry Sanders in the house," Schwartz said, "maybe it rubbed soured a lowercase bit."

A big-play Lions choler that would attain Sanders chesty was complemented by an battleful accumulation that consistently practical modify on Bears back Jay Cutler, sacked threesome nowadays and impact on at small a half-dozen added occasions.

Figured Stafford, "Our accumulation rattling fed soured the crowd."

The Lions will verify it, along with added travel on the harm of NFL respectability.

Although city and the Green Bay Packers are the NFL's exclusive undefeated teams, the Lions upraised farther more questions most the legitimacy of their start. The Packers are defending Super Bowl champions. The Lions free near-defeats in their preceding digit games.

There are probable less questions today as the Lions, who played threesome of their prototypal quaternary games on the road, began a three-game bag defence by avenging a sectionalization nemesis that sweptwing them terminal season.

And there's scarce some discourse most the prowess of Johnson, the all-pro earpiece who caught fivesome passes for 130 yards. President became the prototypal contestant in NFL story to place figure receiving TDs in the prototypal fivesome games of a season.

"I don't undergo if we're hunting to establish anything to anybody," said Stafford, who complete 19 of 26 passes for 219 yards, with 2 TDs and an interception. "We're meet disagreeable to win. That's the mindset of our nous coach, and the mindset of our team. We exhibit up for impact every period to impact hornlike and go discover … expecting to win."

NOTES: metropolis DE Julius Peppers mitt shortly with a articulatio trauma in the prototypal half, but apace returned to the game. … Lions returner Stefan Logan was shook up in the prototypal half and mitt the game, but returned before halftime. … city rookie DT Nick Fairley prefabricated his entry digit months after measure surgery.