Broncos vs. Lions 2015 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online

The Detroit Lions don't have a history of stepping up in key situations. This is a franchise with one playoff win in 58 years and the only 0-16 season the NFL has ever seen, so the fan base can be forgiven for a healthy dose of skepticism.

That's the prevailing mood in Detroit as they approach Sunday night's home opener against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. The Lions are 0-2, and with a Monday night game in Seattle facing them after Denver, they know they need to beat the Broncos to have a good shot at avoiding 0-4.

It's been a deflating start to the season for the Lions, who blew an 11-point lead to the San Diego Chargers in Week 1 and fell to the Minnesota Vikings, 26-16, last Sunday. Adrian Peterson ran all over the Detroit defense in his first home game since 2013, gaining 192 yards from the line of scrimmage.

But perhaps even more troubling for the Lions has been their offensive struggles. Franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford has four touchdowns and three interceptions through two games, and has constantly been under duress. He took a number of nasty hits Sunday, but is expected to play this week. Though Calvin Johnson has gotten his touches –– 12 catches for 122 yards and a touchdown so far –– this offense hasn't been as potent as Lions fans are accustomed to seeing.

One of the reasons for that is a patchwork offensive line, whose performance was so bad last week, left guard Manny Ramirez said he apologized to Stafford after the game. As Andrew Luck's performance last Monday night demonstrated, it's nearly impossible for a quarterback to perform well when he doesn't have any time to throw –– regardless of how good he is.

Manning's arm strength clearly isn't what it once was, but it seems as if some analysts may have written him off prematurely. After struggling at times in Week 1, Manning came back strong in the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs last Thursday night. His final drive was a thing of beauty, leading the Broncos down the field in less than two minutes to tie the game up at 24. Manning capped off the 10-play, 80-yard sequence with a 19-yard slant pass to Emmanuel Sanders, who caught it in the end zone untouched.

If the Broncos play mistake-free and win the turnover battle, they should be victorious in the majority of their games. The formula worked for them against the Chiefs last Thursday when they forced five turnovers in the win. Granted, the last one was a gift from Jamaal Charles, who inexplicably dropped the ball inside Denver territory and setup the game-wininng score, but the Broncos deserve credit for applying pressure.