OT - The Honolulu blue Kool-Aid tastes of fine wine (Lions posbang!)

Submitted by Great Cornholio on January 9th, 2023 at 12:53 AM

Tonight, my long-suffering Lions-loving friends, was one for the ages. After decades of being ravaged by Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre, the Lions waltzed into the palace of cheese and laid waste to the demons of their past.

Tomorrow's game recaps may point out that despite the heroic effort, the Lions again failed to reach the playoffs. That they made their draft pick a few slots worse by winning a "meaningless" game. These lukewarm takes miss the point entirely.

Because what we witnessed tonight was everything we Lions fans can look forward to next season: a team that never quits. Not on 4th down on the final drive, not in the 4th quarter sitting on the wrong side of the scoreboard in a hostile environment, and not on the season after that woeful start littered with bad breaks. On national television with America watching, your Detroit Lions displayed the one thing Dan Campbell wanted to see above all else: GRIT.

Haters, you can talk all you want about the SOL, the Fords, the failures of the past. You can also go eat a bag of cheese dicks, because true Lions fans understand how big this win was tonight.

Jamaal Williams, bang! Aiden Hutchinson, bang! Kerby Joseph, bang! This whole fucking beautiful team, bang bang bang!

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Football

BlueMk1690

January 9th, 2023 at 9:45 AM ^

So the fanbase that in October/November proclaimed this year another rebuilding season where the Lions try to get a high pick to draft a QB, is now happy with Goff going forward? Has Goff played himself into franchise QB status? Because let's be real here, you aren't getting much more than moral victories in this NFL without a franchise QB.

Joined: 02/04/2011

MGoPoints: 13005

St Joe Blues

January 9th, 2023 at 10:24 AM ^

Jared Goff was one of the best QBs in the NFL for the last 10 games of the season. He has an active streak of 324 passes without an INT, the 5th longest ever.

I watched the trade with the same interest I had for the Dontrelle Willis trade, who won ROY and led his team to a World Series title then forgot how to pitch. Goff's a guy who led his team to a Super Bowl and then couldn't win anymore. The worst that could happen was one of the 1st round draft picks the Lions got for Stafford could be used to find a new franchise QB. The best was that he could figure out how to win again with a change of scenery. Unlike Dontrelle, Goff has done that. An 8-2 streak in the NFL is very uncommon. Plus he's only 28 years old.

Joined: 01/08/2017

MGoPoints: 34030

bacon1431

January 9th, 2023 at 10:42 AM ^

Fuck Aaron Rodgers and fuck the Packers! 

Most satisfying Lions win in a very long time. Maybe since they clinched a playoff spot for the first time in forever in Stafford's third or fourth year. And that might be just because I was at that game.

Great team win on national television against the obnoxious pretty boy of the league. I think Tirico and Collinsworth were stunned it happened as they had nothing prepared for a Lions win.  

Joined: 07/26/2008

MGoPoints: 25294

Sambojangles

January 9th, 2023 at 11:15 AM ^

Sadly the schedule gets really tough next year. By my count, 8 games vs current playoff teams (MIN 2x, Dallas, Seattle, KC, LA, and Baltimore). Plus the rest of the NFC South and AFC West, which is a bunch of mediocrity (basically near the Lions level in the NFL).

I can't help but think this was the year to make it - losing winnable games to Seattle and Carolina (games given as a benefit of the last place finish last year) plus the close home losses to Miami, Buffalo and even Philadelphia. Flip any one of those and they're 10-6 and on their way to Minneapolis for a playoff game. 

 

Joined: 12/15/2008

MGoPoints: 10996

MgofanNC

January 9th, 2023 at 11:32 AM ^

To quote Mr. Rip Hamilton, Yes sir!

Just like last year's win over the Pack at the end of the season this is more good foundation building for next year. Hutch is already wrecking shit as are a lot of the young guys on this team. Really hoping with a full offseason Williams gets into a groove and fixes some of the drops he had this year. His speed is still elite though. Love where this team is heading and if we can hit on a CB or two in the draft we might even win a playoff game or two next year. 

5-1 in the NFC north ain't no fluke. Good things on the horizon. 

Joined: 10/23/2019

MGoPoints: 3799

Perkis-Size Me

January 9th, 2023 at 11:55 AM ^

The tough(er) part now that Detroit will have to deal with in the offseason, and certainly not something that its used to, is handling expectations. Not the "well we hope to get better week by week and set a good foundation for the following year" kind of expectations that they normally have. We're talking playoff expectations. Winning the NFC North. Maybe winning a game or two in the playoffs and showing that this could be a core group of guys who could win a Super Bowl within 3-5 years. 

The Lions are going to be talked about a lot in the offseason, in a lot of positive ways. They're going to be one of those sexy picks to start making real noise in the 2023 season, they'll be slated for at least 1-2 SNF games in national primetime TV. How are they going to handle those kinds of expectations and spotlight? Are they going to be ready for it? 

For the record, I'm not saying they won't be, but we've seen this story before with other teams where the previous year it seems like they've turned the corner and all offseason, the media talks about "Look out for those guys next year, they're gonna be dangerous!" and then next season comes and it all falls apart. 

Not a Lions fan, but for their sake and for the sake of the entire city of Detroit, I hope they've turned a corner. This is a team that SHOULD make the playoffs next year, and it'll be a pretty big disappointment if they don't. 

Joined: 11/30/2011

MGoPoints: 106139