DETROIT – Detroit Lions fans are taking over at away games, and the trend is only growing as the team continues to improve on the field.
The Lions loss on Thanksgiving day wasn’t exactly the holiday treat we all wanted. But they still own an impressive 8-3 record.
They also hold a big lead in the NFC North, and a big part of the story is the way the team and its fans travel.
The Lions are the talk of the town but it turns out they’re the talk of many other towns, too.
They have lost more at home than they have on the road, but as Local 4 found when we traveled to the games in Baltimore and Los Angeles, the line between home and away this year is really thin.
After so many years of drought, the Lions seem to have found a watering hole. This Lions team is different, and even British broadcaster and biologist David Attenborough is impressed.
This once-beleaguered group of Lions was staging an extraordinary comeback, allowing them to fan out into areas where they hadn’t been seen for over 20 years. Because of that, those who follow this particular pride are roaming all over the Serengeti with them. It started in Kansas City.
Read: ‘Let’s go Lions’: Detroit emerges victorious in stunning road victory over Chiefs in season opener
Then, they took over Green Bay, Tampa Bay, Baltimore, and, most recently, Los Angeles.
Read: Showtime performance lifts Detroit Lions to victory over Chargers in historic great western shootout
The Lions are far from their home den, and the pride keeps getting bigger and bigger.
“There are so many damn Lions fans that we’We’vene the whole circuit,” said one Lions fan.
Honolulu blue seems to be everywhere on the road as they are loud and impossible to miss.
“I feel like I’m screaming right now because you would think we were Detroit with these fans,” said Charissa Thompson during Thursday Night Football. “Unbelievable. Unbelievable. Just enjoy this for a second.”
Call it pride in the pride as new jerseys are being purchased, and old ones were pulled out of storage as some would not see the name Sanders so often if you were at a Kentucky Fried Chicken convention.
“The fans supported the team even though we might not be projected to win, but now, look at us,” said a fan. “Look how great we’re doing.”
The thing is, it’s working. Home teams have had false starts due in part to the noise of the Lions faithful. And the team is an impressive 4-1 away from Ford Field.
It is not easy to win on the road in the NFL, and yet the Lions have had a lot of success there, largely because head coach Dan Campbell says road games don’t really feel like road games.
“That’s what it feels like anyway,” said Campbell. “We get significant support on the road right now. There’s kind of a takeover here. It feels that way, anyway. We have a lot of. You walk out, and it’s a sea of blue, and by the time the third quarter hits, you can hear them. Their offense is out there, and I swear they’re about to go to silent cadence inside their own home. Man, that’s something else, and it’s pretty awesome.”
A great example occurred during the game’s final play in Los Angeles when the Lions and Chargers were tied. Judging by the crowd, you could tell who won.
The Lions hit the road again this weekend when they’ll travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints. Will the road warriors stand up and let their voices be heard? Only time will tell.
Kickoff is at 1 p.m.
