Ever since the Super Bowl became the biggest stage in American sports in 1967, the Lions have not had the best history. However, change has come in Detroit and it warrants a deeper look.
To begin, it took the Lions three years to make their first Super Bowl playoff appearance in 1970. That being said, the game ended in a 5-0 loss against the Dallas Cowboys. Their next appearances were in 1982 and 1983, but yet again found themselves in the loss column.
But, at the turn of the decade in the 1990s, Detroit found themselves to be a playoff team in 1991. Backed by superstar running back Barry Sanders, the 90s looked to be a decade where Lions fans could finally put the team’s harsh past behind them. It started off great, as Detroit won their first playoff game in the Super Bowl era against the Dallas Cowboys. Moving onto the Conference Championship, the Lions ended their season against the eventual Super Bowl Champions, the Washington Redskins.
After the playoff run, it seemed to again be looking up for Detroit, but the rest of the 90s ended pretty disappointingly. The Lions were in the Wildcard Round in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, and 1999 and didn’t win any of them.
The 2000s were very difficult for the franchise as they did not make the playoffs once throughout the decade. That being said, the drafting of quarterback Matthew Stafford allowed Detroit what seemed like a fresh start, but in reality it was just more of the same. Three wildcard appearances in 2011, 2014, and 2016, and again all of them lost.
Then came 2023, a monumental year for the Lions. A rebuilding process that had been in place for the last few years finally started gelling. Head coach Dan Campbell seemed to have figured out their brand of football and it was the teams first playoff appearance in seven years. Detroit had also not won a playoff game in 32 years and they were at home ready to face the Los Angeles Rams. It was a hard fought game and the Lions pulled it off 24-23, but they were not done yet. Another home game, that time against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, another tough win. It was now time for the conference championship against the stacked San Francisco 49ers. It was a close gritty game but unfortunately, Detroit came up just short, keeping them out of the Super Bowl for the 56th straight year.
That being said, the 2024 Lions have accomplished something no other Detroit team in the past has, the number one seed in the NFC. That will allow the team a bye, the chance to play the lowest remaining seed in the divisional, and home field advantage. It has been arguably the most successful Lion’s season of all time and it could very well end up with Detroit hoisting their first Lombardi Trophy in February.
