Detroit Lions: Calvin Johnson, Barry Sanders make it a big night

Barry Sanders represented the past. Calvin Johnson, Matthew Stafford and company represented the present (and from the looks of things, the future too). And the Detroit Lions and their fans just plain represented on national television Monday night.

Detroit made the most of its first appearance on “Monday Night Football” in a decade. The largest crowd ever at Ford Field (67,861) actually delayed the national anthem with their chants of “Bar-ry! Bar-ry!” after the Lions’ legend took part in the coin flip.

Then the current Lions took over with a 24-13 comeback victory over NFC North rival Chicago to improve to 5-0 for the first time since 1956, the year before their last NFL title. Detroit kept pace with another division rival, the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers, as the only undefeated teams in the league.

That huge crowd definitely played a role, causing nine Bears false starts with their ruckus.

"It was unbelievable," said Stafford, who completed 19 of 26 for 219 yards with two touchdowns. "Especially early on, some of those third downs, you couldn't hear yourself think."