A punchline no more. The Detroit Lions, one of the most beaten down franchises in all of sports, finally know what it’s like to taste postseason success in the 21st Century, after holding off the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wild Card Round on Sunday.
The long-suffering and tremendously-patient crowd that packed Ford Field celebrated the triumph, as it turned the page on a miserable past, basked in the joyous present and now eagerly awaits the exciting future. A vestige of that past pain soaked in the massive feat himself, while giving two vital members of the current team their just due.
“Raise a glass to Jared Goff and Dan Campbell,” former Lions quarterback and first-round pick Joey Harrington posted on X after the 24-23 win over the Rams. “It’s taken a long time, and Detroit deserves it!”
Lions flip the narrative at long last with playoff win
Goff put together what had to be a euphoric performance against his old team, completing 22-of-27 pass attempts for 277 yards and one touchdown. He linked up with his top target, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown for what was the game-clinching first-down completion with less than two minutes remaining.
It was a pivotal night for Campbell, too, as the fiery head coach had the Lions locked-in against a formidable opponent. The defense was wobbly throughout the night, but it held firm in crucial red-zone situations to ultimately seal the deal. Campbell’s signature boldness was on full display when he entrusted his QB to throw the ball on 2nd-down out of the two-minute warning instead of milking the clock.
Jared Goff and Dan Campbell helped save the franchise from further futility, a responsibility that was once given to Joey Harrington. Detroit selected the Oregon star with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft. He struggled under center and plenty of losing followed, with Harrington being traded to the Miami Dolphins in 2005. The team had already started to implode before his arrival (2-14 record in 2001), so success was always going to be difficult for Harrington to attain with the Lions.
But none of that anguish is relevant today. Detroit is celebrating a playoff win for the first time since the 1991-92 season. That surreal feeling will ideally propel the entire franchise and city forward in the NFC Divisional Round.
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