The Lions ended the regular season with a 15-2 record.
It resulted in their second straight NFC North title and the top seed in the playoffs, and the coveted bye and home-field advantage that comes with it. They are a slight betting favorite to win the Super Bowl.
But for reasons that are fatalistic and seining, this town has tended to dwell on why the Lions won’t win the Super Bowl.
It began when Aidan Hutchinson, off to an incredible start, broke his leg. That drumbeat, perpetuated by an element that feeds off fan misery, faded as the Lions destroyed team after team.
Yet, the injuries kept mounting and the Lions finally lost. The Bills came in and whipped ‘em. And there were more injuries, and you were told, again, it was over.
It got worse after the 49ers rolled up a lot of yards on Monday Night Football. Never mind that the Lions won the game, even though it was not necessary.
It’s understandable to a degree. The Lions had been so bad for so long, this seems too good to be true. Detroit has gone through a decade of pathetic performances by all the local pro teams.
Please know, though, the Lions, as presently constructed, are much different. They have come through in more ways the last two-and-a-half years than several decades combined.
They’ve won high-scoring and low-scoring games. They have captured close matches and triumphed via rout. Rain in Green Bay? No problem.
When the injuries hit, SOOOO much was focused on those not able to play, it was forgotten those still taking the field rank among the NFL’s best.
The Lions not only have more difference-makers than any other team, they also have exceptional depth. It’s been incredible how well general manager Brad Holmes has drafted star power, but also plug-and-play pieces.
Draft picks like Levi Onwuzurike, Josh Paschal and Ifeatu Melifonwu have been injury-plagued, but have come through when others have been sidelined. Fifth-round draft pick, rookie guard Christian Mahogany, not only held his own, but excelled when presented the opportunity to play.
Amik Robertson has been one of the NFL’s most underrated free agent signings. Maybe he just needed a chance at outside corner to prove his full capabilities. Sure seems like it based on the imprint he left against Justin Jefferson and the Vikings last Sunday.
Injuries aside, the Lions enter the playoffs with Top 5 players at offensive tackle (Penei Sewell), center (Frank Ragnow), running back (Jahmyr Gibbs), wide receiver (Amon-Ra St. Brown) and safety (Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch).
Linebacker Jack Campbell was named second-team All-Pro by Pro Football Focus and quarterback Jared Goff definitely would not be out of place in a Top 5 ranking at quarterback. The traditional passing stats suggest he is elite.
Jameson Williams topped 1,000 receiving yards and was sixth in the NFL in yards per catch (17.3). Sam LaPorta was sixth among tight ends in receiving yards (726) and fourth in TD's (seven). Punter Jack Fox and kicker Jake Bates are among the NFL’s best specialists. Returner Kalif Raymond is back from injury. So, very importantly, is linebacker Alex Anzalone.
Head coach Dan Campbell is the envy of a league that is poised to poach coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn from his staff.
If this sounds like a glowing report, it isn’t, really -- it’s just listing off the Lions' resume piece by piece. They are 37-10, including the playoffs, since starting the 2022 season by losing six of their first seven games.
As impressive as the Lions are, bolstered by the edge they hold as a No. 1 seed, it doesn’t guarantee a Super Bowl. They could be vulnerable to a hot passer like Mathew Stafford or Baker Mayfield. The Eagles are peaking at the right time and feature a strong roster, augmented by the addition of Saquon Barkley and rookie defensive backs Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell. The primary AFC contenders, the Chiefs, Ravens and Bills, are arguably the Lions’ equals when their elite quarterbacks are factored in.
This is not a once-or-bust opportunity for the Lions. If they lose, that will be a sad day in this town. It won’t last, though. This team, with virtually all its nucleus 24 years old or younger, is built for sustained success.
That means, too, that if the Lions do win the Super Bowl, there could be more championships on the horizon.
That’s how far the Lions have come as an organization in a short period.
They have earned more than a perpetual stream of rhetoric about what could go wrong, when the Lions have done so much right.