The Detroit Lions’ dream run to the playoffs came to a heartbreaking end at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game, ending a season that will be remembered by Detroiters for years to come.
The Lions opened the 2023 NFL season with a Thursday night showcase against the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, and will now play the same way, with all eyes on the Lions and Chiefs heading into the Super Bowl. The NFL season is almost over.
The Chiefs will be back in action after dispatching the Baltimore Ravens in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, while the Lions will be watching at home after a second-half loss in San Francisco.
But before the heartbreak in the NFC Championship, the Lions rode into Kansas City in the season’s opening week and defeated the defending champions 21-20, giving fans a reason for hope.
“We didn’t learn anything,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell often said after the opening night win. “It gave me validation for what I already knew.”
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Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell reacts during the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
The opening night game reinforced optimism in Detroit that the Lions, who hadn’t made the playoffs since 2016, are on a different path than the “same old Lions.” Lions quarterback Jared Goff, who won eight of his last 10 games in 2022 and narrowly missed the playoffs with a 9-8 record, outperformed Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in 2023. declared that the Lions would be different.
Despite losing in overtime to the Seattle Seahawks in their home opener the following week, the Lions quickly capitalized on that optimism with a four-game winning streak and a lead in the NFC North, which they had never won before. I jumped out.
But that optimism was put to the test after an embarrassing road loss to the Ravens in Week 7. The Ravens jumped out to a 28-0 lead before halftime and never looked back for a 38-6 victory.
“They kicked our offense,” Campbell would say after Ravens games. “Nobody expects it to be fun, but I know it’s going to be motivation for next week and it’s going to be motivation for the team. You’re going to do whatever you can to never have that feeling again.” I know you’re going to do that, so that’s all I’m going to say.”
The Lions wouldn’t feel that way again for four more weeks, but it helped the team bounce back from the blowout loss and start a three-game winning streak, including a thrilling shootout victory over the Chargers in Los Angeles in Week 10. I let it happen. The winning streak was achieved. After losing to the rival Green Bay Packers in the annual Thanksgiving Day game in Detroit and losing by double digits again to the Chicago Bears in Week 14, the Lions would drop two of three games. become.
Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions celebrates while leaving the field after defeating the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on November 12, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Harry Howe/Getty Images)
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The mini-slip raised questions about whether the Lions could finish the job and win their first Division I championship since 1993, but Detroit put those concerns to rest with a big home win over the Denver Broncos in Week 15. Soothed immediately. Road win over rival Minnesota. The following week, the Vikings won the Lions’ first NFC North title, guaranteeing them their first-ever home playoff game at Ford Field, where the Lions began playing in 2002.
Week 17 was a key road test for seeding against the Dallas Cowboys, with Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker catching a potentially game-deciding two-point conversion pass. Controversy arose as officials claimed that they had not reported their eligibility until then. The final moments of the match. Postgame replays of Decker talking with officials seemed to tell a different story, but it was too late to prevent the most painful loss of the season.
Detroit Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker catches a pass for a two-point shot in the end zone during a game against the Dallas Cowboys on December 30, 2023 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Despite the controversial loss, the Lions finished the season at 12-5 with one more win against the Vikings, the franchise’s first 12-win season since 1991.
The Lions’ fairytale season became even more surreal the following week with their first home playoff game in decades. Detroit will welcome back former franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford and look to end his former team’s dream season as an opponent of the Los Angeles Rams. But Goff, the other centerpiece of the trade and also headed to Detroit for several draft picks, shined against his former team, completing 22 of 27 passes for 277 yards. He scored one goal and the Lions narrowly won 24-23, earning their first victory. First playoff victory since 1991.
With the Packers defeating the Cowboys in one of the other NFC wild-card games, Detroit will have another chance to host a playoff game in the divisional round, but the Lions lost 31-23 to Baker Mayfield. We will win and take advantage of that opportunity. And the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Lions catches a touchdown pass in front of Zion McCollum of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Ford Field in Detroit on January 21, 2024. did.
The Lions carried that momentum into San Francisco on Sunday, taking a 24-7 lead at the half, then a series of mistakes from the Lions and big plays from the 49ers sent the No. 1 seed in the NFC to the Super Bowl, with upstart Detroit in attendance. It became. A bag after a historic run.
Along the way, the Lions benefited from strong offensive line play, with Goff in the MVP race and sparkling first-team All-Pros by wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and offensive tackle Penei Sewell. He won the season and saw a promising rookie season. That includes draft picks like running back Jahmil Gibbs, linebacker Jack Campbell, tight end Sam LaPorta and safety Brian Branch.
The team now looks forward to 2024 and the holes that need to be filled to give the Lions another Super Bowl appearance next year. But the 2023 Lions will be savored for years to come, and Campbell knows there are no guarantees of second chances in football.
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“I told them this might have been our only shot,” Campbell told reporters after Sunday’s blowout loss. “Do you think so? No. Do you believe it? No. But I know how difficult it is to get here. I know very well. And getting back to this point next year is more than It would be twice as difficult.”
