The Detroit Lions have performed in the national spotlight as often as not in their first six games, and they gave winning performances in all three.
What we learned about the Lions in that six-game span is that they don't fold in big moments with big opportunities at stake. They don't give up because of injuries.
They just dig a little deeper and keep winning.
Among the other things we learned is that all the deciding moments don't end up with points.
We start with the Lions in the spotlight:
Most experts thought the Lions had gotten a bad draw in the schedule because of the difficulty of the opponents in the first six games. Three games were on the road – at Kansas City, Green Bay and Tampa Bay, with home games against Seattle, Atlanta and Carolina.
Making it more difficult, games against the Chiefs and Packers were on prime-time TV. Later, the Tampa Bay game would be moved from starting at 1 p.m. to 4:25.
Most experts thought that a 3-3 start – or even a 2-4 start – would be welcome for the Lions.
The Lions, led by head coach Dan Campbell and his staff, had other ideas on what would represent a good start.
The Lions came through the first six games with a 5-1 record and a firm grip on first place in the NFC North.
Deciding moment: The Lions had a 20-6 lead – the final score – when they got the ball back in the fourth quarter of Sunday's win over Tampa Bay.
The Lions got the ball back at their 16 and ran off 45 yards on 11 plays. Jack Fox punted the ball to the Tampa Bay two.
The Bucs had the ball for 13 plays without scoring before handing the ball over to the Lions on downs.
View photos from the Detroit Lions vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 6 game at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 15 in Tampa, FL.
Up next: The Lions have two games before their bye. They're at Baltimore on Sunday and at home vs. the Raiders on Oct. 30 – a Monday night.