So, I took a road trip this weekend to cover an NFL playoff game in Detroit, a city positively starved for a winner with its team one of only four in the league that’s never made it to a Super Bowl.
The Lions hadn’t won two games in one postseason since 1957 and they accomplished that with Sunday’s 31-23 divisional playoff victory over the Buccaneers at Ford Field to advance to the NFC Championship against the 49ers Sunday in Santa Clara, Calif.
That victory leaves Detroit one win away from getting to its first-ever Super Bowl.
I walked away from Sunday impressed with everything I saw of the Lions, who are difficult to root against for a lot of reasons, beginning with their impossibly authentic head coach Dan Campbell to their discarded and dismissed quarterback Jared Goff to a locker room with a perfect blend of humble veterans and exuberant youngsters.
The Lions, put simply, are likable and relatable. They’re not a cocky bunch who preen and thump their chests in front of the TV cameras. The Lions represent the hunger and humility of the city in which they play.
These elements were all on display in Detroit’s most important victory in some six decades on Sunday.
But, above all of those things, what I took away most from the day was Ford Field and how it looked and sounded, which was ear-splitting loud, electric and oozing with appreciation and passion.
I found myself mesmerized with atmosphere envy.
This is what NFL football should look like for a big home game.
This is what I’ve been missing at the Giants and Jets games I’ve been covering for the past decade-plus as both teams have struggled to find relevance while their fans have become discouraged and apathetic.
This is what it’s supposed to look like in an NFL stadium on a game day with massive consequence to the result.
The Jets have won 41 games since 2016, haven’t been to the playoffs since the 2010 season and last hosted a playoff game in 2002. The Giants have won 37 games since the 2017 season and haven’t hosted a playoff game since the 2011 season.
These have been some long, cold, lonely Januarys at MetLife Stadium.
This is why the atmosphere at Ford Field stood out so much on Sunday, because it was such a stark contrast to the Giants and Jets games I’ve been covering and it made me wonder why we can’t have nice things.
It, too, drew me in to take a closer look at how these Lions have been constructed, starting with their hiring of general manager Brad Holmes to hiring Campbell and the players with which they’ve filled their impressive roster.
Evident in this Lions’ run and highlighted by Sunday’s win is how good their offensive line is, anchored by right tackle Penei Sewell, the team’s first-round pick in 2021, center Frank Ragnow (in his sixth year in Detroit), left tackle Taylor Decker and right guard Graham Glasgow (both in their eighth year with the team).
Then there’s the way the Lions have built this roster through the draft.
Their 2021 draft class included Sewell, receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, linebacker Derrick Barnes, safety Ifeatu Melifonwu and defensive tackle Alim McNeill.
Sewell and St. Brown are All-Pros. St. Brown had eight catches for a team-leading 77 yards on Sunday, including his 9-yard game-sealing touchdown reception that gave Detroit a 31-17 led with 6:22 remaining. Barnes made the interception of Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield with 1:33 remaining that clinched the victory. Melifonwu was tied for the team lead with nine tackles and he had 1.5 sacks.
The Lions’ 2023 draft class included running back Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell, tight end Sam LaPorta and cornerback Brian Branch.
Gibbs rushed for 74 yards on nine carries and gave the Lions a 24-17 lead Sunday when he scored on a 31-yard run in the fourth quarter. LaPorta led the Lions in receptions with nine for 65 yards. Branch was tied for the team lead in tackles with nine, had two tackles for a loss, and a sack.
Goff, after the game Sunday, marveled at how methodically the Lions have been built and how they haven’t gone out of their way to reach on flashy, expensive free-agent signings.
“It’s not like we’ve added a ton,” Goff said. “It’s a lot of the same guys, and Brad and Dan have been very intentional about bringing in those type of guys who can handle moments like [Sunday] and moments like last week and ups and downs of a season. It’s all been intentionally done by them and we’re not here by accident.”
No, they’re not.
This is a Lions team that’s playing with a purpose, with an attitude and with a swagger that makes it anything but a long shot to take down the No. 1 seeded 49ers and get to its first Super Bowl.
The Lions, like the atmosphere in their rabid building on Sunday, are what it’s supposed to look like.
