Getty Tyrell Crosby celebrates with Matt Prater after a kick.
The Detroit Lions pulled out arguably the most exciting NFL win of the week when they stunned the Atlanta Falcons with a 23-22 win, and the celebration after the game was just as epic in the locker room.
After the game, the team was clearly in a fired up mood. The locker room scene was jubilant and chaotic as the team celebrated the come from behind win. The team danced and cheered, and Matt Patricia as well as Matthew Stafford came in to break things down.
Here’s a look:
Breaking it down in the #Lions locker room after Sunday’s W.
Patricia says:
“Unbelievable situational football. Everybody stayed dialed in, really through every single play. One play at a time, take the emotion out of it, and that’s what’s happening men. That was awesome. Great win.Great job by everybody, that was great.”
Stafford then breaks down the huddle saying again how amazing Detroit’s win was as the team celebrates. All told, it was a great scene considering how the game played out.
Highlight of Detroit’s Exciting Victory
This unbelievable play is always worth another look. With time running down and a 16-14 deficit in the game, Atlanta made the critical error of scoring when they could have run out the clock and simply kicked a field goal to win. The play ended up costing them dearly, as the Lions moved down the field surgically, hitting a few big plays to Kenny Golladay. With 2 seconds left, Matthew Stafford scrambled and hit T.J. Hockenson for the last second tie score at the goal line.
Here’s the play:
#NationalTightEndsDay for the WIN‼️
That play wasn’t the end of the game, though. Detroit had merely tied the game and needed to hit a 48 yard extra point to guarantee victory. The Lions pulled it off, with Matt Prater redeeming himself after a missed field goal earlier in the game from nearly the same distance. A 23-22 win.
It was a huge play which saved Detroit’s season and prolonged their mid-season run toward potential playoff relevancy, something many folks think could be coming in the weeks ahead if the Lions manage to catch fire.
Typically, this was the kind of game the Lions have made a habit of losing historically, but the fact the Lions managed to turn it around for a win has to be a huge shot of confidence for them moving forward. At 3-3, the Lions are back relevant in the NFC playoff hunt, and it’s the huge kind of game that can transform a season and catapult a team that was on the brink of collapse just a few weeks ago.
There’s teams every season that make a charge in the second half after some close wins, and the Lions could be shaping up to be one of those teams if this win can mean anything in the long term.
2020 NFC Playoff Picture After Week 7
The win moved the Lions to 3-3 and firmly back in the mix in terms of the NFC playoff picture. The Lions will be battling teams like Carolina, New Orleans, Arizona, Los Angeles and company in the weeks ahead. The win did a good job to help Detroit keep pace and keep them in the picture for the rest of the season. A loss and a 2-4 record would have been a death blow early in the season, but the Lions won themselves a shot at yet another week of relevancy in the standings.
With the expanded NFL postseason coming in 2020, the Lions need only keep winning to give themselves a shot. Detroit could have been positioned significantly well with a better start to the season, but they are firmly back in play for the second half of the season to chase down a playoff bid.