To everyone reeling from the Lions loss, just remember...
January 29th, 2024 at 8:27 AM ^
Or if SF doesn't get gifted a TD after an interceptable ball bounces off the DB's helmet and into the WR's hands at the goal line.
If, if, if...
January 29th, 2024 at 9:45 AM ^
From my chair (disengaged Browns fan pulling for the Lions as a kindred "if they can figure it out maybe MY team can figure it out too" spirit), it really was the fumble that changed the entire complexion of the game. If you can go out after that flukey pass play that led to the TD and then string your own drive together, catch your collective breath, give your defense a chance to rest... maybe the Lions settle back in and do what they were doing on offense in the first half.
That fumble got in EVERYONE'S heads AND got the crowd going again. The ensuing 3-and-out once it was tied was killer, because the Lions' D was gassed and the whole team seemed to have a collective "WTF just happened" thing going on.
January 29th, 2024 at 6:50 AM ^
Harbaugh's Michigan team went for it plenty on 4th down. You could even say our 4th down aggression versus OSU was the difference between a win or loss.
Although, I do think he would have kicked the 2nd one unless he doesn't trust his kicker (I have no opinion of Bagley)
January 29th, 2024 at 7:21 AM ^
Badgely is 50% from 45 plus yards and has never kicked outdoors under Campbell. No way, Campbell would have allowed Badgely to kick from 48 yards at SF.
January 29th, 2024 at 11:11 AM ^
Badgely is a career journeyman kicker. He is good, but he is NOT Tucker / Butker. I have to believe that within Campbell's calculas of deciding to either kick or go for it, it was plainly obvious that he preferred to give his Offense the chance over Badgely. Now if Campbell gets a kicker that he trust, I believe his calculas changes...
But for now, Campbell clearly does not completely trust Badgely otherwise he kicks the 46 yarder in the 3rd quarter and the 48 yarder in the 4th.
It is way too convient for Monday morning armchair coaches to state... "Awww those are such sure fire makeable FG, outdoors in SF" (Keep in mind that Moody missed from 48 earlier in the game heading in the same direction)
Bottomline, Campbell showed more faith in his offense over his kicker. Get a better kicker and the calculas changes....
January 29th, 2024 at 11:46 AM ^
Not to mention the Lions are 17 for 20 on 4th and 3 or shorter this season. This is a much higher conversion than trotting out a journeyman kicker. I have zero problem with going for it.
People seem to think that the NFL kickers are automatic from 45+ yards out. Jake Moody is a much better kicker than Badgley and missed a 48 yard FG. No guarantee that they'll get 6 points.
January 29th, 2024 at 5:27 AM ^
Agree with this.
The Lions are young, and this game also highlighted weaknesses in experience, roster talent, and game management. All of which I expect will improve in the years ahead.
January 29th, 2024 at 8:35 AM ^
Dan Marino would like a word with you. He wants to know how this championship arc works.
January 29th, 2024 at 1:06 AM ^
I spent my first 18 years in Metro Detroit and my following 4 in Ann Arbor. My heart goes out to the diehard Lions fans but I confirmed tonight that the Wolverines are the only team I’ll ever truly love.
January 29th, 2024 at 1:07 AM ^
That will always remain.
Tonight, though, was a missed opportunity. Just didn't play focused enough in the 2nd half to win.
January 29th, 2024 at 1:27 AM ^
While it's tough to give up such a lead, it was always a long shot to win @SF. It was an excellent season for the Lions and they did better than most expected.
"This was our only chance in our lifetime" is the kind of talk that people would come up with who ahead of the season would have said "no way the Lions make the playoffs, it's just false hope". Why shouldn't the Lions make the NFC title game more often? Several other teams have done it.
Establishing the franchise as a good NFL team that knows what it's doing is way more important for the team than some miracle run to the Super Bowl would have been.
January 29th, 2024 at 1:42 AM ^
It was a long shot before the game.
It was an 86% shot at halftime.
January 29th, 2024 at 2:28 AM ^
We base it off of the history of the Lions. In '91-92 season they made the playoffs and were one game away from the super bowl. They got blown out by the red skins, and we all thought it was a great season. and they would build off of this and will have many more division championship games and eventually make the super bowl. Then fucking Lion bad luck happens, poor Utely breaks his neck and Andolsek gets run over by a semil truck while mowing his lawn down in LA. Yeah, they had Sanders but their great developing OL went down the drain. They win the division in 93 but Farve beats them in a home playoff game. Then we get shitty football for 30 years. May be this stint will be better but when you have a great chance to reach the super bowl you have to fight like hell to win a game when you are up 17 at the half. We can say the future is bright for the lions but injuries could derail any future greatness.
January 29th, 2024 at 6:25 AM ^
Didn’t Utley get hurt during that season? I thought it was about halfway through (and the team responded similarly to how we did to Zinter’s injury).
January 29th, 2024 at 8:41 AM ^
utley got hurt during the 91 season and was the fuel for this team going as far as it did
this past years lions team was head and shoulders more talented than that 91 team
January 29th, 2024 at 10:10 AM ^
Based on 'history' the Lions should have never even won a playoff game. And Michigan should have never beaten Bama in the Rose Bowl.
I'm not sure who's watching soccer here, but I recall a time when it was considered the 'predictable' 'safe' thing to think that Spain will choke in big tournaments and never win one. It was true until it wasn't. They then won three in a row.
History really means jack in sports when it comes to predicting the future.
January 29th, 2024 at 11:25 AM ^
Not a jinx, but you are pointing out just how FUBAR events had to go to derail the last Lions winning franchise prior to this one.
I am going to go out on a limb and state that I do not believe there will be another set of events that drastically alter a teams fortunes.
In addition unlike the 90's, I have 100% more faith in Brad Holmes to continue to add talent to this team that has already won and is one of the younger teams in the league...
Will GB be good, yes, will Chicago be better, yes... But so will the Lions. If people feel this is the ends to a means, they are clearly missing the big picure here. The window is just opening up, this is not like in Dallas or Buffalo or Miami or Baltimore where they are aging franchises that will face major roster turnover...
Big decision are forthcoming for Holmes, contract extensions for Goeff, Sewell, Decker are on the top of the list. Cap management will really start taking effect over the next couple of year but the Lions are $45M UNDER the cap. Plenty of room to work with...
FYI..
Dallas - $22M OVER the cap
Buffalo - $53M! OVER the cap
Miami - $58M! OVER the cap
Baltimore - $5M Under the cap
January 29th, 2024 at 1:39 AM ^
The Giants suck and the Yankees are still deeply flawed. But I don't care right now because this: my alma mater broke through the chrysalis!
January 29th, 2024 at 2:11 AM ^
I think everyone is happy we have Campbell.
But there needs to be a Dwayne Johnson like guy standing next to him on the sidelines at all times and just give him that look like - no dude, we're not doing that.
January 29th, 2024 at 6:53 AM ^
Disagree. Let him cook.
January 29th, 2024 at 9:31 AM ^
Agreed. Coach Campbell needs to do what got them there, which was being aggressive. Honestly, what they did this season was great. I wasn't expecting them to win it all, but damn, they impressed me just by getting to the NFC Championship. If they can build upon this success, watch out...
January 29th, 2024 at 3:15 AM ^
I feel like the lions got there when maybe they should not have. Showed up great and could have been in it at the end with a couple fgs they passed up.
But this team is damn young and really wasn't expected to make a run even in the NFC until next year. I think the future is really bright for the LIONS. Its only gonna get better for them with the offseason draft and free agent market. Players want to be here now. Its the place to be if you want to make a impact and win.
January 29th, 2024 at 5:42 AM ^
Offensive line is not young. That is a huge concern for how they are built. Montgomery has two or three good years left. Johnson is leaving so a new O Coordinator will be needed. Glenn is not so we get more of same on D. Linebackers need upgrade, back four needs big upgrade.
It’s not easy to win. They blew a great chance It might never come again.
January 29th, 2024 at 7:02 AM ^
Decker is 30, Ragnow is 27, and Sewell is 23.
January 29th, 2024 at 8:42 AM ^
I feel like the lions got there when maybe they should not have.
4th best team in the regular season and ended as one of the last 4 teams in the playoffs. They just ran up against a better team. And if it weren't for some self inflicted mistakes, came damn close to the super bowl.
January 29th, 2024 at 5:17 AM ^
I loved this Lions team. Get a corner, an edge, and a wr, and this is a Super Bowl team.
Oh, and a kicker.
January 29th, 2024 at 7:01 AM ^
what's wrong with their kicker?
January 29th, 2024 at 7:16 AM ^
Exactly. They needed a few more playmakers. It is impressive that they went this far even without that. Look at KC. They rode their three stars to Superbowl and Mahomes is just that good. Lions can do it. They need one or two really good drafts.
January 29th, 2024 at 6:51 AM ^
And with that, the greatest season of football in the state of Michigan in any of our lifetimes comes to a close.
Hilariously bad Spartans on and off the field, a crushing season for Ohio, a Lions franchise record and an undefeated national title.
January 29th, 2024 at 6:52 AM ^
Thats a brutal loss. You lose by 3? I think people wouldve been alright with that. But 24-7 at half and just collapsing is going to haunt a lot of people for a long time
January 29th, 2024 at 7:17 AM ^
I dunno. May be SF was that good???
January 29th, 2024 at 8:18 AM ^
He said as the ball doinked off a face mask, the rookie fumbled, and the receiver dropped a ball when the head coach pissed away his chance to quell their momentum.
January 29th, 2024 at 7:09 AM ^
With Campbell as the head coach, and the core talent being younger players; I have little doubt this team will be back again in this position soon, and the next time the outcome will be different. Only way I see a downfall is if the leadership with the Lions does an SOL move by letting Campbell go somewhere else.
January 29th, 2024 at 7:40 AM ^
There were too many self-inflicted gaffs but Mr. Purdy is one hell of a competitor.
Sometimes it take several years for a team that has an also-ran history to develop a mindset that can close the deal.
January 29th, 2024 at 7:41 AM ^
I stopped being a fan of the NFL a long time ago, but I do follow former M players so last night I was pulling for Detroit and Adain Hutchinson. the loss was a rough one and analytics be damned, they should have kicked the field goal to tie the game midway through the 4th quarter. The momentum was all with the 49er's at that point but the Detroit defence was still holding their own. Kick the field goal and tie the game and she what happens. This isn't a hindsight thing either, I was saying it when they lined up t go for it. I don't know man...for me that was absolutely the wrong decision.
January 29th, 2024 at 7:58 AM ^
I think it’s a such a momentum based and highly situational thing, and I’m not talking about analytics; there’s just kind of a feel from the players and the previous few plays where you just know you’re gonna go and you’re gonna get it.
This did not feel like one of those times. And I know like Olsen said, that’s the kind of decision making that’s got you into this game, but sometimes you just gotta be smart. Campbell is a blast, but he has a little work to do to balance his heart with his brain.
January 29th, 2024 at 7:42 AM ^
I am at peace with the Lions' season on the whole. If you had asked me in September if we would be in the NFC Championship game, I would have chuckled and responded in the negative, so they overshot my own initial estimate, and I have a difficult time being not OK with that. Sure, yesterday hurts, but it's sports and you just have to compartmentalize and learn from it and give it another shot at the first available opportunity, much like life. I mean, that worked for Michigan football and look what happened recently, right?
The Lions need a fair amount of help on defense though. Yikes. Fortunately, this year's draft is but a short jaunt down the freeway from Allen Park.
January 29th, 2024 at 7:45 AM ^
Just glad to be invited. The Lions have never really played in January so that was cool to see. Promising future too.
January 29th, 2024 at 7:47 AM ^
Losing Ben Johnson and keeping Aaron Glenn could send the Lions right back to the SOL years. Aaron Glenn and that defense are horrid. Sutton does not belong on any NFL roster. If the defense gets one, just one stop in the second half and the Lions are in the Super Bowl.
January 29th, 2024 at 7:54 AM ^
While they played with courage and confidence all year, in the second half of the championship game it seemed to finally hit the Lions with where they were and what they were on the verge of, and they were suddenly best by the Imposter Syndrome, the drops, the poor tackling, etc.
It will be a difficult road to get back there, but this should make the team stronger, so that next time there will be no doubt.
January 29th, 2024 at 8:48 AM ^
As a Bears fan I’d love it if Chicago was in the Lions position right now. A young and talented team not built from mercenaries but being built and strengthened for the long term. A near miss to the playoffs last year to a near miss to the Super Bowl this year. Basically the sky is the limit and Detroit looks to be a SB contender next season as well.
January 29th, 2024 at 9:36 AM ^
The temptation this offseason will be to "go all in" to win the Super Bowl next year, ala the Rams a couple years ago. I hope they don't do that. They're close but I'd rather them build something for sustainable success than mortgage the future for next season which may or may not work out.
I'm fine if they use every draft pick on defense. Offense just has a few holes that can be plugged in free agency without breaking the bank (Mike Onwenu?). At some point their young stars will be getting paid.
January 29th, 2024 at 9:00 AM ^
This was the TCU game again. There was a stretch in which every bounce went the way of the enemy and the very talented team from Michigan lost the game before the championship.
It stings, but guess what happened a year after TCU.
January 29th, 2024 at 9:12 AM ^
Did anyone else catch George Kittle say "They had us in the first half. Not gonna lie?" lol
January 29th, 2024 at 9:18 AM ^
So this is as someone who just followed the Lions a little bit late in the season, but it kind of seems like they're a decent secondary away from being consistently great. They have offensive firepower, just needed a few stops. I suspect they'll be competitive as long as the current HC and owner stay the same.
January 29th, 2024 at 9:26 AM ^
Amen. As I was chatting with some buddies last night and this AM - I think being aggressive is good generally, but it's certainly situational. When you're up 14, going for it to try and get up 21 is still 3 scores.
So, IMO (armchair QB) going for it to try to "still get up 3 scores" is not worth the risk. When a team stops you on 4th down, whether by their good defense or your fuck up (last night) there's a massive momentum swing. All of a sudden, they're back in it. Now, if you're up 10 or 17? Going up another score (TD vs FG) seems more worth risk there to increase the # of scores differential.
January 29th, 2024 at 12:26 PM ^
Lions are just beginning to hit their window. They have 4-5 years left to get this done. I wouldn't be surprised if they miss the playoffs next year because their schedule is going to be brutal. However, they should still have at least 2 or 3 more chances at a playoff run. They'll probably have to go on the road to do it, but they should also have a better defense. So we'll see.
January 29th, 2024 at 12:46 PM ^
Lions 2024 schedule (dates TBD) but...
Home games (9) - Green Bay, Chicago, Minnesota, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Tampa Bay, and Buffalo
None of those games should "scare" anyone... Way too early prediction....7-2 as the floor, more likely 8-1 with an outside chance at 9-0
Road games (8) - Green Bay, Chicago, Minnesota, Arizona, Houston, Indianapolis, San Francisco and Dallas
Even with a split (4-4) on the road would net them a 11-6 / 12-5 seaon and in contention for the #1 seed next year...
Are there some challenging games next year, sure @SF again, @Dallas, and @Houston, but it is ceratinly not something that I would call "Brutal"
Also, its a long off season, lets see what other teams are going to do. I am just optimistic that the Lions will be better next season, the question is what about the other teams...