The Detroit Lions looked like a team of destiny this NFL season, finishing 15-2 and earning the top seed in the NFC heading into the playoffs.
Destiny is a fickle creature, however, and decided to shine its light on the Washington Commanders instead as the 6-seed shocked the Lions at Ford Field in a 45-31 victory.
The Commanders move on to the NFC Championship. The Lions are left to wonder what could have been.
The emotions of such a letdown are already being felt across Detroit, not just by fans desperate to see their team play for a Super Bowl for the first time ever, but also by the players and coaches who accomplished so much and came up short.
Head coach Dan Campbell, the architect of the Lions’ recent success, met with the press following the upset loss. And he was indeed upset, sharing his feelings about what went wrong while fighting back the tears.
“It just hurts to lose, man. I don’t care if you’re the 7-seed, 6-seed, 5-seed, 1-seed. Cause I’ve lost them in all down there. And it stings. And it hurts. It hurts. It’s hard. When you lose these games, man, I mean, it’s like the players, you know? What they put into it. A lot of people don’t know, you know what they go through, to have to get up, your body’s beat to sh*t, you know, mentally stay locked in and do those things, so,” Campbell said, his voice cracking.
“Long season… It’s my fault. It’s my fault.”
Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels was simply too much for Detroit on the day, throwing for 299 yards on 22-of-31 passes for two touchdowns and zero turnovers. Meanwhile, the Lions picked the worst time possible to play their worst game of the season, throwing three interceptions and giving up a fumble.
“It’s not the time to talk about what a great year (it was)… because at this moment, I don’t think any of us feel that way,” Campbell said.
It’s going to be a long offseason for the Lions as they try to regroup. Meanwhile, Washington takes over as the NFC’s team of destiny.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.