The Detroit Lions had a golden path to the Super Bowl laid out in front of them following a franchise-record 15 regular season wins, which earned them the NFC’s No. 1 seed. The NFL’s No. 1 scoring offense (33.2 points per game, most in a season in Lions history) had a chance to play all of its postseason games indoors between its home stadium (Ford Field) and the Super Bowl being played in New Orleans at the Caesars Superdome.
Instead, their 2024 dream season died in the NFC Divisional Round following a 45-31 NFC Divisional Round loss against the sixth-seeded Washington Commanders and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Amazingly, Detroit became the fifth team in NFL playoff history to produce at least 300 passing yards and at least 200 rushing yards in a playoff game, per CBS Sports Research, but the Lions were the first to lose such a game because they were the first to lose the turnover battle, which they did by a wide margin. Detroit committed five turnovers, four by quarterback Jared Goff (three interceptions and a lost fumble) and an interception by wide receiver Jameson Williams on a trick play.
Detroit had five games in the regular season with 40 or more points scored and no turnovers committed, which were the most in a single season in NFL history. It only committed 15 total turnovers in the regular season, tied for the sixth-fewest in the NFL, while generating 24 takeaways (tied for the 10th-most in the NFL) which resulted in a plus-nine turnover differential in the regular season, the eighth-best in the league.
“Yeah, I don’t know, I don’t know what it was,” Campbell said postgame when asked about the Lions’ five turnovers on Saturday. “It was one of those, you know it was just one of those odd days. Things were a little bit off, and you know … it’s not just one thing. It’s kind of how the day was. That has not been our M.O. We just didn’t play great, man. … You know at the end of the day, man, I didn’t have them ready. … We just didn’t get it done … It’s hard, man. When you lose these games, man … it’s like the players, you know what they put into it. Lot of people don’t know what they go through. You have to get up, bodies beat to s—, and mentally stay locked in and do those things. So long season. … It’s my fault. It’s my fault.”
300 pass yards and 200 rush yards in a playoff game (NFL history)
|
2024 Lions |
L (45-31) |
-5 |
|
1990 Bills |
W (51-3) |
+6 |
|
1987 Washington |
W (42-10) |
+2 |
|
1984 49ers |
W (38-16) |
0 |
|
1976 Steelers |
W (40-14) |
+1 |
However, losing as the conference’s top seed doesn’t make a difference to Campbell because in his mind all postseason losses — no matter the situation — sting.
“No, it just hurts to lose man,” Campbell said. “I don’t care if you’re the seven seed, six seed, five seed, one seed because I’ve lost in all of them down there, and it stings. And it hurts. So you know, it hurts. It’s hard.”
Read the full article here
