The Detroit Lions finished 9-8 and narrowly missed the NFL postseason, but that doesn’t mean folks have forgotten about them even as the games have continued on.
During the Wild Card round, which the Lions narrowly missed being a part of, there were several games which left folks wondering how the Lions would have performed in the playoffs if only given a chance to do so.
One of those took place on Monday, January 16. Both the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers were struggling in plenty of ways during the game, and that led some to proclaim their desire to see Detroit subbed into the postseason in real-time.
NFL Network analyst Kyle Brandt was one such person. As he tweeted during the game, he wanted to see the Lions get subbed-in for one of the teams in the NFC Wild Card round.
“Can we please sub in the Detroit Lions for one of these teams? Damn,” Brandt tweeted during the game.
So far, most all of the playoff games have been solid with the notable exception of a few in the NFC. Dallas blew out the 8-9 Buccaneers 31-14, but were sloppy themselves missing four extra points in the game. Tampa Bay looked the part of a sub-.500 team that had made the postseason by default as the winner of a bad division.
Additionally, the Seattle Seahawks, who were added to the playoffs by virtue of Detroit’s 20-16 win in Green Bay in Week 18, were blown out by the San Francisco 49ers 41-23.
Would the Lions have put up a better fight in either of those games? It’s tough to say being the team hasn’t won a playoff game of any kind since 1992, but Detroit was also one of the more interesting teams in the league this season being they started 1-6 and managed a solid 8-2 finish along with maintaining a top-three offense.
Given their team and personalities, the Lions are thought of as a team that folks now want to see on the field. That’s quite the reversal from a few years ago, when many couldn’t turn them off fast enough.
Dan Campbell Reacts to Lions Playoff Miss
So how does Detroit head coach Dan Campbell feel about the notion that the team should be in the postseason over some of the other teams that made it?
Not surprisingly, the coach wouldn’t completely agree with the idea. Appearing with Peyton Manning and Eli Manning on their coverage of Monday Night Football, the coach admitted frustration, but also culpability in not being able to get into the postseason and handle their own business.
Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press was watching the telecast and had a look at Campbell’s thoughts. As he said, while it was frustrating to see, the Lions were responsible and seeing the games can fuel the fire of the players to make things right.
“Dan Campbell on watching an 8-9 team in the playoffs after the Lions went 9-8 and missed: “It is frustrating, but we’re responsible for that, too. … That’s why I like watching these games. It fuels your fire,” Birkett tweeted.
For the Lions, the fuel for the fire might be the most important part moving forward. That’s why losing out on the playoffs might have been beneficial for the long run.
Campbell’s Goal Is to Make Lions Contenders
In terms of what the future holds, Campbell wants to see his Lions a part of the mix in the playoffs moving forward into the future, which he has made clear since the season ended.
Speaking to the team in the locker room after the win over the Packers in the season finale, Campbell discussed how proud he was of the Lions, and praised the team for refusing to let outside noise regarding the failed push to the postseason distract them.
“To do what you guys did shows the character of this team. It shows what you’re about. We didn’t doubt it at all. You guys didn’t doubt it. Schedule makers, the whole deal. Seattle. You didn’t even bat an eye. You came out there and earned respect. I couldn’t be more proud,” Campbell told the team.
Campbell went on to make a prediction. As he told the team, he believes this season was just the start, and he wants to see it get to the point where everything goes through Detroit in the future.
“This is a special group. And by the way, this is just the beginning. Now, the idea will be down the road that all roads go through Detroit. That’s the way we got to think man. That’s the way we got to think,” Campbell told the team. “When you can win on the road like we just did to a team that is doing everything they can to get in, it speaks volumes about who you are. What we’re capable of. I couldn’t be more proud.”
The Lions have a lot of help to gather this offseason, especially on defense. If they can get that help, they will be in better shape to turn things around and make Detroit the feared destination that Campbell talks about.
They might even make the playoffs in the future and give fans and commentators alike some of the excitement they seem to crave.
Analyst Wishes for Detroit in Playoffs: ‘Can We Sub in the Lions?’