The great thing about the Lions going 0-15 is that it may have finally put the Bucs winless 0-14 season of 1976 to bed. If the Lions can cough up just one more loss this week at Lambeau Field, it should forever put the Bucs original season to the back of football fans’ memory banks.

Formers Bucs offensive lineman Tom Alward was a member of that Bucs team. The Michigan resident discusses with the Flint (Mich.) Journal how terrible it was in 1976. Alward actually feels sorry for the Lions but can understand how an NFL team can lose its first 15 games of a season.

“Losing can become kind of contagious,” he said. “It’s so hard to win a game in the NFL, and a lot of games come down to a handful of plays that really determine the outcome.

“If you’re worried about losing, then you’re always wondering when the ax is going to fall and you don’t make those plays.”

Trust Joe, he will be a not-so closet Packers fan this Sunday, if only for a day.

Pass the cheese, please.