Sharp: 4 things Lions need to win a playoff game

A successful season for the Detroit Lions carries a pretty simple goal:

Win a stinking playoff game.

That's all.

That's not asking too much, is it?

Their measure for excellence isn't as high as the Detroit Tigers', because they haven't won as consistently. But that doesn't mean letting the Lions off the hook if they simply prove the skeptics wrong and finish with a winning record in consecutive seasons for the first time in more than 20 years.

Stop crying into an overflowing bucket of tears over what happened in Dallas in January. Demand more than proving you're not as bad as others think.

2015 is a colossal failure if the Lions can't win a playoff game. Period.

But here's a clear, viable road map toward that destination, with four critical benchmarks.

■ Quarterback Matthew Stafford more closely resembles Joe Flacco.

It always starts with the quarterback. The Lions will not win a road playoff game with a pass/run ratio around 60/40, because that places the emphasis on Stafford dictating offensive tempo rather than managing it. Coach Jim Caldwell and his offensive staff have impressed upon Stafford the importance of accomplishing more by doing less. Better to harness his talent to make the big pass plays in a critical road game with no mistakes, as opposed to the previous Lions coaching regime that let Stafford's gunslinging style go unbridled.

They accepted the mistakes for the sake of big plays. That defines a team that can't be trusted to win on the road.

■ Darius Slay become the first Lions' Pro Bowl cornerback that they drafted since Lem Barney.

Slay's close. Very close. Some might not appreciate his big talk, but today's successful corners must possess a full tank of swagger. He made successive red-zone plays against the New York Jets on Thursday that exemplified that increased confidence. He quickly closed and wrapped up Eric Decker for a short four-yard gain. And on the next play, he jumped the route on third-and-1 and nearly picked off a pass that he could've taken back for an 80-yard pick-six.

Slay gradually is making opposing quarterbacks look to see where he is on the field.

■ Haloti Ngata stays reasonably healthy.

The Lions should treat the 31-year-old defensive tackle like Calvin Johnson during game weeks. Don't practice him much, if at all. Save him. He cannot replace Ndamukong Suh. There isn't a single player who can. But it's imperative that defensive coordinator Teryl Austin have as many established options as possible in a defensive tackle rotation that's trending much younger this season, with middle-round draft picks Caraun Reid and Gabe Wright potentially assuming a larger role in the run defense.

Until they're convinced otherwise, opposing teams will attempt to run the ball down the Lions' throats without Suh.

■ Eric Ebron can be trusted to move the chains on third down.

That's an acceptable role for the enigmatic second-year tight end this season. Ebron doesn't need a bust-out season to forgive a very disappointing rookie season. He might never live up to the extraordinary expectations that come with a top-10 draft choice. But if he catches three passes per game and becomes a reliable, surehanded option for Stafford on third-and-6 in the fourth quarter, Ebron can make a valuable contribution.

Contact Drew Sharp: dsharp@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @drewsharp.