By Jack Walker
Last Sunday was a historical night in the Motor City, as the Detroit Lions took home their first playoff victory since Jan. 5, 1992. For 32 years, Lions fans have heard the phrase, “Same Old Lions (SOL).” But with the win over former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams, it seems as though the phrase can be put to rest and that a new era is upon us.
Emotions were running high among Lions fans everywhere. For anyone under the age of 32, they had never seen the Lions be able to get into victory formation to seal a playoff game, but to do it in front of the home crowd at Ford Field, made it all the more special.
“I was nervous when the game started because the Rams offense had a lot of life in them but I had faith in the Lions to seal the victory,” said Jackson Lambert, 19, of Grand Rapids. “I’m not going to lie, I cried after they won. To see the Lions first playoff victory in my life was a huge deal.”
Tiffany Vonn, a Culinary Arts Major at Grand Rapids Community College, was seen sporting a Detroit Lions sweatshirt on Tuesday, still celebrating the victory. For Vonn, the game meant more to her than the ordinary fan,
“I was so happy when we won because my Dad used to watch the Lions with me before he passed away and this is the first victory since his death, so it meant a lot to me.”
During Sunday’s game, Hamza Jemal, 20, of Grand Rapids was feeling the same as most Lions fans throughout the country, nervous.
“I was so anxious to get the game over with,” said Jemal. “When Jared Goff got that kneel down, that was a happy moment for sure.”
A familiar face returned to Ford Field for the first time in his storied career on Sunday. Long-time Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, the Lions franchise leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, games played by a quarterback, game winning drives, and passes completed, returned to the place he called home for the first 12 seasons of his career.
“I was happy to see (Stafford) home, but I definitely wanted him to lose,” Lambert said.
Vonn appreciated the pre-game hype that Stafford’s return brought to the matchup.
“My thoughts were that the game was crazy because Matthew Stafford used to play for the Lions and that was what everyone was talking about before the game,” Vonn said.
The Lions, thanks to the Cowboys losing, were able to secure another home playoff game, this time facing off against Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Lions were able to beat Tampa Bay earlier in the season, 20-6. If the Lions win, it would be their first time back in the NFC Championship since the 1992 playoffs. It would also be the first time since 1957 that the Lions were able to win two playoff games in a single postseason.
Lambert, Vonn, and Jemal gave their predictions for the Divisional Round matchup against Tampa Bay.
“The Bucs are next and I see the Lions beating them,” Lambert said.
Vonn sees the game being relatively close, but predicts the Lions coming out with a win, “We’ve faced other teams that are better than the Bucs and we still won, so I think we will win by three points.”
Jemal senses possible trouble brewing for the Lions’ defense, but also sees the Lions finishing with a win against Tampa. “Baker Mayfield played amazing last game, so I’m just scared about what we can do in the pass game.” Jemal added, “Our DB’s (defensive backs) are not that good right now, Cam Sutton has been playing the last few weeks not up to par… I’m definitely scared about that but I do think we can finish it out.”
Playoff fever is at an all-time high in the state of Michigan. The Lions are two wins away from reaching their first Super Bowl in franchise history and three wins away from winning the whole thing. More and more Lions apparel is popping up each week on the GRCC campus, with it hopefully not slowing down any time soon.
The Lions kickoff on Sunday, Jan. 21 at 3 p.m. at Ford Field against the previously mentioned Tampa Bay Buccaneers. An important game to pay attention to for Lions fans is Saturday night’s showdown between the Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers. If the Lions beat Tampa Bay they will either travel to San Francisco or host the Packers. If the Lions host Green Bay, it will be their third matchup of the season, with each team winning on the road.
