By Jack Walker
For the first time in franchise history, it truly looked like the Detroit Lions were on their way to the Super Bowl when they took a 24-7 lead over the San Francisco 49ers heading into halftime.
However, disaster soon struck in the second half for the Lions. A few dropped passes, a pass that hit a Lion’s cornerback in the helmet which resulted in a 51-yard catch for 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, a costly fumble, and defensive misqueues, all resulted in the Lions allowing 27 unanswered points to give San Francisco the win.
With making it this far into the season, comes the inevitable heartbreaking loss, something Lions fans have experienced, but not to the degree of Buffalo Bills or Minnesota Vikings fans.
For football fans across the state of Michigan, including the Grand Rapids Community College campus, Monday was not an easy day. The thought of the Lions being 30 minutes away from the Super Bowl and not sounding crazy was real for the first time. But in the end, it’s the hope that will disappoint you.
“I thought the Lions had the game and then they blew it away,” said Edi Mullabazi, a 22-year-old GRCC student from East Kentwood. “They looked so promising in the first half and looked like the ‘Same Old Lions’ in the second half.”
Same Old Lions, a phrase that was not heard much throughout the season for Detroit’s run, but Mullabazi is not wrong in this case. Allowing 27 straight points is reminiscent of just about any poorly coached Lions team that comes to mind.
“How do you throw up 17 points in the third quarter?” said GRCC student Dylan Chapin. A friend of Chapin’s, GRCC student Chayil Versluis chimed in with a simple, “That was crazy,” in regards to the Lion’s second-half collapse.
GRCC student Kaetlyn Jackson gathered with family to watch the game, “I just watched it with my family…we were upset that they lost.”
Many fans were disappointed with the loss, but some like Eldin Sinanovic, 19, from Grand Rapids were just excited to see the team in the NFC Championship.
“It felt like this year was Detroit’s year so I was so excited to see them play in the NFC Championship game,” said Sinanovic. “During the later part of the game, I was wondering where the big play was going to be and that never happened. It was a fun experience this year but it proved that the Lions are here to stay.”
Five words that haven’t been said many times in the franchise’s history, “the Lions are here to stay.” But, Sinanovic has a point about the Lions being here to stay and competing in the NFC for the foreseeable future.
The Lions were one of the younger rosters in the league, getting key contributions from first, second, and third-year players. The Lions currently have over $58 million in cap space, which ranks sixth in the NFL. The Lions also will not be losing too many notable players to free agency, and with the cap space the team possesses, bringing them back will make it quite a bit easier.
It’s not easy getting back to the conference championship. Unless it was Tom Brady’s Patriots, or more recently, Patrick Mahomes’s Chiefs, it’s hard to pencil in who will make it all the way for a chance to play in the Super Bowl.
The Lions will be tasked with a harder schedule and more teams taking them as a threat. But, with the current trajectory, the team is on, it’s hard to not be happy about the future.
“There’s always next year” is a phrase Lion’s fans have heard for what seems like an eternity, but this time, it feels different. Maybe, just maybe, next year could be another special season.
