The fact that the Detroit Lions, who are a.500 clubs at 7-7, have any chance of making the NFL playoffs is, as their coach might say, rather impressive. They began the season with six losses in seven games. And they remain the Detroit Lions, historically the most miserable of miserable teams.
Since their last playoff triumph on 5 January 1992 against the Dallas Cowboys at home, the Lions have participated in eight playoff games and lost all of them. Since January 7, 2017, when they lost a wild-card game in Seattle, they have not even been in the playoffs.
They traded their tough-as-nails quarterback, Matthew Stafford, to the Los Angeles Rams less than two years ago Stafford helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI. Last season, the Lions lost their first eight games and concluded with a poor record of 3-13-1. Some wrote that they had a good chance of being the first NFL team to finish with a record of 0-17.
But look again! The Lions cannot win the NFC North this season; Minnesota (11-3) has already clinched the division. The Lions have between a 34% and 43% chance of making the playoffs, according to the number crunchers, following Sunday’s 20-17 come-from-behind road victory over the fading New York Jets. Before Sunday, their odds were only half as good.
Detroit, which is ninth in the NFC standings, has a 96% chance of making the playoffs if it wins its final three games, according to the New York Times and FiveThirtyEight prediction tools. Therefore, the Lions would need assistance to surpass the Commanders (7-6-1) and Seahawks (7-7) to qualify for the tournament.
On 2 October, the Seahawks defeated the Lions in a wild head-to-head matchup, 48-45. The Commanders’ draw makes it improbable that Washington and Detroit would finish with identical records, but Detroit won the head-to-head match on September 18 by a score of 38-27.)
Even a 34% to 43% chance is better than the 0% chance the defending Super Bowl champion Rams have after losing to the Packers on Monday sans injured quarterback Matthew Stafford. Since the year 2000, the Lions have enjoyed five winning seasons.
The majority of the credit, as it should be, goes to the over-the-top, 46-year-old, second-year head coach Dan Campbell, a native Texan who began his tenure by guaranteeing that the Lions would “bite a kneecap off” when they got back up.
Since October 30th, little biting is required. The Lions have self-confidence. On fourth-and-1, Jared Goff (the quarterback acquired in exchange for Matthew Stafford) completed a 51-yard touchdown throw to wide-open tight end Brock Wright, who had previously dropped a ball.
Equally outstanding was the Lions’ defense, which sacked New York quarterback Zach Wilson for a crucial 8-yard loss on the Jets’ last drive, which resulted in a failed 58-yard field goal, as later stated by Campbell.
The Jets had lost two consecutive games and desperately needed this victory. Their chances of making the playoffs dropped into the 20s.
Goff stated at a news conference following the game, “You’d rather win ugly than lose pretty. There were moments earlier in the year when we were dominating in particular scenarios and then letting it slip away towards the finish, but I believe that has now completely reversed.
We’ve lately won several games with relative ease, but we’ve also won some games on the road that was so tight that we had to scrape out a victory at the last second.
“Is it going our way, or are we just playing?” I lean toward making a play, whether it was a sack on the previous drive or just stuff we did upfront; we’re learning how to win consistently in close games in difficult environments. And yes, they are now a good, mature team.”
Goff, a 28-year-old former quarterback from California whom the Rams selected first overall in the 2016 NFL draught, passed for 252 yards and a touchdown against the Jets. Nothing remarkable. He is seventh in passer rating among NFL quarterbacks who have thrown for more than 2,000 yards this season, with 23 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
At least he is playing, which is more than can be said about the second overall choice in the 2016 draught, quarterback Carson Wentz. Wentz, on his third NFL team, lost his starting position with the Commanders in October after breaking a finger. Wentz is now in good health but has not played since.
The Lions will now face Carolina, Chicago, and Green Bay, all of which have losing records. Although it may seem unlikely, the Lions still have a chance to participate in their first Super Bowl. Jacksonville, Cleveland, and Houston are the only three non-Supe NFL clubs, however, the Detroit Lions have existed since 1930.
Currently, the Lions’ wild-card playoff opponent would be the Vikings (11-3) if they secured the seventh and final NFC slot. Before creating history on Saturday with a 39-36 overtime triumph over Indianapolis, Minnesota fell to Detroit by a score of 34-23.
This was the game in which Goff completed an audacious third-down pass to Penei Sewell, a 335-pound offensive tackle who had reported as an eligible receiver.
Campbell would later claim that he was unable to hear the play call because 66,374 Ford Field supporters were distracting him and, presumably, the Vikings by doing the Wave.
On Sunday, Campbell was asked how it felt to be 7-7 after beginning the season 1-6. He stated that it was difficult to answer the question “since you know you’ll get better.”
Campbell would add, “You have no idea how it will get there or what it will be.” You are aware that if you play better football, you can win consecutive games. I believe that is the greatest way to express things.
I had no clue what it would look like or how it would function, but that was a general concept. You begin playing decent football and score two or three consecutive touchdowns.
“If that’s good enough to make the playoffs, then wonderful,” he remarked. “If not, it didn’t work out.”
