For the last 24 hours or so, I’ve been trying to wrap my head around what happened inside of Ford Field. It was something that most of the Lions faithful had never seen before. For others, it had been 32 years since they’ve seen something like that, and it happened in the Pontiac Silverdome with a completely different team and regime.
Sunday night, all of that changed.
Prior to the game, we took a lap or two around some tailgates just to see how people were feeling. Despite the single-digit temperatures in Detroit, the energy outside of the building was infectious, and it was enough to keep you warm while waiting for the doors of Ford Field to open. People seemed anxious, nervous, happy and excited. Which is different from previous years when fans were upset and mad and had the paper bags ready.
Once those doors opened, tens of thousands of people flocked to the entrances of Ford Field.
Some wanted to get inside to warm up or get some food prior to the game. For others, they wanted to see the NFC North Division champions banner and the fresh paint on the field that read “Wildcard Playoffs.” Most of this was to double-check that all of this is real and that we’re not living in some type of dream.
Getting into the stadium three hours prior to kickoff may be too early for some, but for us, it was perfect. We were able to have a few beers and some food and we watched the Packers beat the Cowboys on the video board. Let me just say it was weird to see Lions fans clapping and cheering for anything positive that occurred for the Packers.
As we got closer to kickoff, we started to see the Rams and Lions players take the field. Immediately one of the first players I noticed on the field was Lions tight end Sam LaPorta. Despite his leg looking like Rob Gronkowski’s elbow, he stretched, ran around and sprinted to the 50-yard line. All of it indicated that he was going to play.
Sure, Matthew Stafford got booed, but he didn’t step onto the field alone. There were other players from Los Angeles who followed, and every single one of them got booed too. None of it personal, just business.
However, it did get personal prior to Jared Goff stepping onto the field. The chants of “Jared Goff” filled the stadium, and it created a buzz that I’ve never felt or seen before as a fan. When the video board showed him walking down the tunnel, every fan in the building got on their feet, clapped their hands and yelled his name even louder.
All of this yelling for Goff from the fans was both personal and business. It was the fans showing their support for their quarterback and showing that we were done talking about Stafford. We weren’t there for his return; in fact, we were there for the arrival of playoff football, Jared Goff and a football team that had been doubted all week.
Once we got to the introductions, the stadium got louder and louder. From the national anthem to the opening kickoff and every single play that happened after, not a single person in that stadium sat down. When Dan Campbell said “it was electric out there,” he was not lying. It really was.
While I won’t go into detail about every single play, I will go into some detail about how good this football team is and can be. It felt like at any given moment, the Lions offense could turn it on. On their first three drives of the game, the Lions marched down the field and dominated.
You could actually hear the pads of the Lions offensive line smash against the opposition. This created huge rushing lanes for Montgomery and Gibbs early and most importantly, it kept Goff clean. When he wasn’t pressured, Goff went 22-of-22 for 277 yards.
Sure, the offense was held to three points in the second half, but the Lions defense made plays when needed. And when that unit was on the field, you couldn’t hear yourself think. Especially on third down. All of us fans were screaming and praying for just one stop. That’s all we needed.
It was so loud every time Stafford got into the huddle, every time he broke the huddle and every single time he tried to adjust something prior to the snap. This caused a delay of game penalty, and most importantly, it forced Sean McVay to burn two timeouts in the second half. Additionally, the Rams never scored a touchdown on their three trips to the red zone. Stafford went 3-of-8 for 6 yards inside the 20, and the Rams mustered only two field goals in the final 30 minutes.
On the final drive of the game, the Lions went into the two-minute warning faced with a 2nd and 9 from their own 32-yard line. With additional time, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson searched in his bag and felt like it was best to put the ball in the hands of Goff. Oddly enough, this was exactly what the Lions did last year to the end season in Green Bay.
Rather than throw the ball to Josh Reynolds like they did a year ago, Goff threw this one to Amon-Ra St. Brown. This forced the Rams to burn their third and final timeout. Reality started to set in once the Lions aligned in the victory formation.
After three straight kneel-downs from Goff, the building erupted. It felt like a bunch of weight had been lifted off all of our shoulders as the players and coaches stormed to the middle of the field.
Fans were throwing out high-fives, hugging each other, cheering and crying. There were even some, myself included, who got on FaceTime to call their loved ones. For me, the first person I called was my dad. He’s the reason I am a Lions fan.
Even though I couldn’t hear my dad on the phone during our call after the game, I could see the smile on his face, and he could see mine. He was happy and I was happy. It made me think back to all of the hours we spent in the backyard playing catch when I was a kid. I would act like I was Germane Crowell or Barry Sanders and all my dad had to do was deliver me a pass or fall on the ground as I hit him with a spin move. I still remember huddling around the radio just to listen to a Lions game because it was blacked out on TV because of poor ticket sales.
Through all of the reflection, excitement and celebration, the most important thing for me was being at the game with my 13-year-old son. He was born the year after the Lions took Stafford with the first overall pick. Weeks after he was born, there’s a picture of me holding him in a Stafford jersey while watching the 2010 NFL draft. During the early years of his life, he has sat by my side for just about every game, just like I did with my dad and just like most of you have done with yours.
I will never forget the look on my son’s face when the win over the Rams went final. He teared up because I was crying, but he was smiling from ear to ear. I could see the shine and reflection of the stadium in his eyes. He was slapping hands with his best friend, and I was slapping hands and jumping up and down with his best friend’s dad. We’ve all become close friends and essentially family over the years and much of that is due to Detroit Lions football.
That’s what this team is all about. Diehard fans who have become friends and family while showing their never-ending support of this team from a city that had been put down, kicked to the curb and counted out. Just like their quarterback was treated in Los Angeles and by the national media.
Until now.
Despite all of the doubt, this team showed perseverance. They showed that they belong and that they earned this moment. Relishing in this moment of glory are all of us fans. It’s been 32 years, but through all of the pain and hardship, it was all worth it. This made the celebration Sunday night that much sweeter.
But the journey doesn’t end here. It only continues. Lions fans will rest up and get ready to do it all again this Sunday as they welcome in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. For now, the sounds of the crowd will echo the halls of Ford Field as the Lions continue one of the greatest seasons in the history of the team.
