Their NFC championship loss was particularly depressing.
The Detroit Lions, previously the most likable club in the NFL playoffs, had one of the worst days of their supporters’ life on Sunday. The Lions led by 17 points at halftime in the NFC championship game against the San Francisco 49ers, but lost it in 12 minutes. They never recovered for more than a few plays at a time, and by the end of the game, the 49ers had advanced to the Super Bowl with a 34-31 triumph. Instead of the Lions having the opportunity to cap a Cinderella narrative, America will see second-year quarterback Brock Purdy face Patrick Mahomes in Las Vegas.
The Atlanta Falcons’ squandering of a 25-point lead to the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl was not the biggest blown lead in postseason history (32 points), but it may have been the most surprising in terms of speed. The Lions had only one open path in front of them, and they suffered a team-wide error in execution that would not have happened in a thousand years. More teams will blow big leads in the playoffs, but no one will do it as the Lions did on Sunday—by forgetting how to execute football plays as a team at the same time.
Dan Campbell, the Lions’ head coach, has received a lot of criticism since the game for a series of failed fourth-down choices. Some were upset that Campbell kicked a field goal on fourth-and-goal from the Niners’ 3-yard line on the final play of the first half, giving them a 17-point lead when 21 was attainable. Others criticize him for two aggressive calls that didn’t work: a fourth-down pass in the second half that receiver Josh Reynolds dropped instead of a 46-yard kick goal try, and another fourth-down incompletion when the field goal would have been 48 yards. These criticisms of Campbell are strong, but not persuasive.
The Lions were one of the league’s most daring fourth-down teams this season, making and trying the second-most in the NFL. Campbell’s kicker, Michael Badgley, has struggled with consistency over his career in indoor stadiums, so there was no need to abandon their identity at such a crucial moment. To be more specific, he had been out of work as a kicker until the Lions signed him late in the season.
Given the complete inexplicability of the Lions’ collapse, it is tempting to want to cast Campbell as a boogeyman. It would be easy to blame a coach who was unprepared for prime time and unable to appropriately balance danger. However, what actually occurred was dark and complicated. The Lions players blew it poorly in some of the most vital moments, when they had the opportunity to succeed but did not. That is an occupational hazard in team sports, but the extent of Detroit’s execution flaws was astounding.
Reynolds’ drop, which occurred while the Lions were still up 24-10 early in the third quarter, served as a warning sign. Reynolds was open on fourth-and-2, and Jared Goff threw a pass just outside him, necessitating a challenging but manageable catch that Reynolds had made hundreds or thousands of times in his life. He didn’t catch this one, so the 49ers took over at their own 28.
Two plays later, Purdy overthrew Brandon Aiyuk on a deep ball, setting up an interception for Detroit cornerback Kindle Vildor. The ball bounced off the defender’s mask and into Aiyuk’s hands, resulting in a 51-yard completion. Purdy’s touchdown pass to Aiyuk came three plays later. The 49ers tied the game four plays later after Detroit’s rookie running back, Jahmyr Gibbs, fumbled.
Even at this point, the Lions had the ball and almost a quarter to straighten things out. However, their following series came to an end when Reynolds made an even worse drop on a wide-open route on third-and-9. The 49ers drove for a field goal to take their first lead, and on the Lions’ counterpunch, second-year receiver Jameson Williams was either confused or gave up on his route, squandering what could have been a 37-yard, game-winning touchdown pass from Goff.
The Lions failed on another fourth down on the same series, then allowed Purdy to torch them, giving the 49ers a 10-point advantage that proved too big to overcome. The critical play of the drive was a long Purdy scramble on third-and-4 at midfield. Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit’s standout defensive end, had Purdy within arm’s reach for a sack, but the little guy dodged him and ran for 21 yards as Lions fans cursed him on their television screens.
That all transpired in less than an hour of real-life time, and it was in stark contrast to how the Lions had performed up to that moment. Prior to their downfall, they were not only winning, but also doing so in style. In the first half, the Lions repeatedly executed the same run play, confident that the Niners couldn’t stop them. During their final drive of the first half, Goff converted third downs of 12, 18, and 7 yards in a row.
The Lions had a strategic and psychological advantage, and they didn’t even need to continue playing well to win. They only had to avoid a complete slide into a crater—which they did not. The Lions would be playing in the Super Bowl in two weeks if their players had not made one or two of the numerous damaging mistakes they made in the second half. That is the type of realization that never leaves you.
Overall, Detroit’s year was a tremendous success. They showed a new generation of fans that the franchise can give a lot of joyful moments rather than a continuous stream of melancholy. They won two playoff games, both at home, marking the best moments for the team and its fans in decades. And they’re in a good position going forward: they’ll play in the NFC, the lesser conference for the foreseeable future due to the AFC’s abundance of superstar quarterbacks. This year’s production came primarily from young players who will be around for a while. Goff performed well enough that one can picture him one day winning the entire thing.
But that is cold comfort, and the harsh fact of the Lions’ loss is that they may never recover. Without Patrick Mahomes requesting a trade to Detroit, it is impossible to ensure conference championship participation on a near-annual basis. After the game, Campbell informed reporters that he warned his squad in the locker room, “This may have been our only shot.” He does not believe it will be, but few who lose a huge game ever do. Those who support the Detroit Lions may face opposition that prevents them from enjoying too much.
