This would be a truly promising headline for Lions fans if their team had already played today, but no, this is about the beginning of the Daunte Culpepper era in Detroit.

He’s got today’s game against Jacksonville and seven more to try and revive his career. Actually, scratch that dramatic thought, this is the NFL and he’s a quarterback. Regardless of what happens today he’ll have opportunities well into his late 30s if he desires so.

For the long suffering fans of this franchise, I’m guessing they await and expect sure disaster this afternoon. And with the Jaguars coming to town after losing last week to a previously winless Bengals team, you’d be hard pressed to think they won’t be leaving Detroit with a win. But the Jags bring some issues of their own, so don’t put on your favorite gameday garbage bag just yet.

After a 34-7 blowout loss to the Bears, Detroit has very much been in each of their last four games, losing close ones to the Vikings, Texans, Redskins and the Bears again.

That was with Orlovsky at quarterback. It’s Daunte today.

So will it be easier for him to step in on a team whose season is already over? Will he be able to relax and find some magic with big target Calvin Johnson like he once did with Moss? (Johnson does have a TD in each of his last four games.)

Remember when Culpepper did stuff like this, this and this? And we got so used to him doing this?

Who knows what happened to him, but maybe playing in a dome will bring back some of that Minnesota magic. Gotta hang on to something.