It may be a while before the Detroit Lions get over the ridiculous way in which they lost to the Tennessee Titans 44-41 in overtime Sunday in Nashville.

But there was at least one significant silver lining in the defeat. In a debut we waited one season and two games to see, running back Mikel Leshoure was solid. The second-round draft pick from 2011 rushed for 100 yards on 26 carries and scored one touchdown in his first NFL action. He became the first Lions running back to gain 100 yards in his debut since Billy Sims on Sept. 7, 1980, according to Chris McCosky of the Detroit News.

"It felt good to be out there getting my feet wet," Leshoure said. "But the 100 yards isn't the result we wanted. The more important result was a win and we didn't get that."

Leshoure missed last season with a torn Achilles tendon and was suspended by the NFL for the first two games after two offseason arrests for marijuana possession.

It’s a terrific sign for the Lions if Leshoure can be a producer on the ground. Detroit has not been able to balance its high-powered offense and the hope was Leshoure would provide that element a year ago. Now that he’s playing, it could signal good things for the offense even after a stunning loss.

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune