NOTE: The views expressed in this EDITORIAL do not necessarily reflect the views of Detroit Sports Nation or a majority of its writers and should not be misconstrued as such. The views contained within are the views of the author and the author alone.
OUR Detroit Lions finished the 2016 regular season 9-7 which was good enough (barely) to get them into the NFL Playoffs as a wild card team. Tonight, they will head into CenturyLink Stadium in Seattle to take on the 10-5-1 Seahawks in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, yet the feeling I get is that they will also be facing the negative energy of many of their OWN fans.
Following the Lions Week 14 win over the Chicago Bears to move to 9-4, I looked at their schedule for the remainder of the season. It was immediately obvious that there was a decent chance Detroit would lose on the road to the Giants and the Cowboys, and after browsing the Packers schedule, it was clear to me that Week 17 would matter in a big way. As we now know, that’s exactly how things played out.
With the Packers vs. Lions game being flexed to Sunday Night Football, both teams, and their fans had the advantage or score watching in the Washington vs. New York game. With a Redskins loss, both the Packers and Lions would clinch a playoff spot, making their game specifically for the NFC North championship.
Of course, the Redskins did end up losing at home to the Giants, and personally, my reaction was not only one of jubilation, but also a feeling of relief. Even though I believed the Lions would win a close game against the Packers, I also knew that Green Bay had been on fire coming into the game and it would not be an easy task to beat them, especially with a division title on the line.
Unfortunately, the Packers proved to be the better team, beating the Lions 31-24 in front of a pumped up crowd at Ford Field. As the fourth quarter unfolded and it was evident the Packers were going to win, many Lions fans took to social media to voice their opinions. Some commented about how Seattle was “beat up” and that the Lions were catching them at a good time, but MOST had a much different opinion.
Though I do not have raw numbers to prove it, my estimate is that 75% (this may be on the low side) were absolutely destroying THEIR OWN team! Some called the Lions “chokers” while most agreed that they had “backed into” the playoffs and were going to get destroyed in the first round against the Seahawks. The consensus seemed to be that they Lions did “not deserve” to be in the playoffs.
Now, make no mistake about it, I wanted a division championship in the worst way (I had even purchased my playoff tickets), but it was not meant to be. The Packers are a better football team and they proved it on two separate occasions against the Lions this season. Our Detroit Lions are an average football team who happened to play an easy schedule and took advantage of it until it became difficult in the final three weeks.
Yet, the Lions won nine games, enough to EARN their way into the NFL Playoffs. If their last three games had been spread out through the season and the Lions still finished 9-7 (but with a Week 17 win), many fans may have a different opinion. But they had to play the schedule they had in front of them and that’s exactly what they did.
Now, the Lions are faced with the daunted task of playing the Seattle Seahawks in one of the most intimidating environments in the NFL, and they don’t have the support of many of their OWN fans. The SAME fans who said the Lions would win five games heading into the season. The SAME fans who were jumping ship when the Lions started the season 1-3. The SAME fans who were then leading the bandwagon just one month ago when the Lions were in the hunt for a first-round bye. And the SAME fans who are starving for a playoff victory.
Guess what, haters? The only way to win a playoff game is to make the playoffs in the first place!
Do we have the advantage of a home playoff game like we had hoped for? No, and we should not. The best team in the NFC North won the NFC North…over OUR team…by one game.
So, instead of turning your back on the team you are supposed to love, start having their back. Start believing in them. Because when the Detroit Lions start making us proud, you will be right back on the bandwagon.
But most of all, never lose the HOPE.
