‘Same Old Lions’ return at inopportune time as Detroit fumbles 17-point lead in NFC Championship

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The Detroit Lions thought they had won the NFC Championship going into halftime, as they had a 24-7 lead against the San Francisco 49ers.

But an acrobatic catch by Brandon Aiyuk for 51 yards, a fumble lost by rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs, and two failed fourth-down attempts with wide receiver Josh Reynolds dropping wide-open passes, including the one on third down all but sealed the deal as the Lions joined the 2012 Atlanta Falcons as the only two teams to squander a 17-point lead in championship game history.

The old saying goes, “What makes you laugh will make you cry.” The city of Detroit, alongside the state of Michigan, will be crying woefully throughout the offseason as fans thought the team shook off the “Same Old Lions” mantra. Still, it reared its ugly head at the most inopportune time as the Lions fell 34-31.

With the stunning loss, Detroit extends their NFL record to 12 consecutive road playoff game losses while also going 0-14 on the road against the 49ers, dating back to 1957 when the franchise won their last championship.

The bounce of the ball didn’t go their way in the second half, which is going to hurt all off-season as they had the game in their grasp.

Still, the team lost focus on all phases, ranging from head coach Dan Campbell and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and the players as the ghost of Lions past returned to haunt them on the biggest stage.

Campbell ended the half playing it safe by kicking the field goal instead of chasing points to go up 24-7, but then, in the second half, he and the team forgot how to coach and or play the game of football as the 49ers tied the game in just eight minutes while holding the Lions to 47 measly yards in the quarter.

“We just wanted to play our ball the best way that we knew how,” said Aiyuk. “We didn’t do that at all in the first half. The defense came out here in the second half and stood tall and they just did a great job.”

Lions cornerback Kindle Vildor will live in infamy for letting the ball bounce off his hands and facemask while falling to the ground, which helped Aiyuk keep track of the ball while making a ridiculous catch.

“Before the game, a ladybug landed on my shoe at the beginning of the game, and y’all know what that means,” Aiyuk said. “So that’s all I can say, and other than that, I don’t know. Just great luck, as God was with us today.”

That play sparked the 49ers’ monumental run, and they didn’t look back. Not to mention the uncalled-for aggressive play calling while in field goal range, which has One Pride up in roars on social media as the team gave the game away.

Campbell spoke on his poor decision making in the second half as he watched his and they city of Detroit’s Super Bowl asperations slippled away.

“I just felt really good about us converting and getting our momentum and not letting them (49ers) play longball,” Campbell said. “You know, they were bleeding the clock out, that’s what they do and I wanted to get the upper hand back.”

Campbell continued:

“It’s easy hindsight and I get it, you know, but, I don’t regret those decision. It’s hard because we didn’t come through, and it wasn’t able to work out, but I don’t, and I understand the scrutiny I’ll get, and that’s part of the gig, man. But, it just didn’t work out.”

Campbell, like most fans, believed the 2023 team might have been their only shot at accomplishing their monumental goal of winning a Super Bowl.

“I told those guys this may have been our only shot,” Campbell said. “Do I think that? No. Do I believe that? No. However, I know how hard it is to get here. I’m well aware. It will be twice as hard to get to this point next year as it was this year, and that’s the reality and if we don’t have the same hunger and the same work, this is a whole other thing.”

Who do you blame for the Lions historical meltdown in the title game? Let us know in the comments section.