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The Detroit Lions learned the good news on January 2: Their Week 18 game against the Green Bay Packers would be flexed into prime time, after all.
“Sunday Night PrimeTime Game. It don’t get no better than this‼️,” cornerback Jerry Jacobs wrote on Twitter, perhaps speaking for all of his teammates.
Many had hinted at the news before the announcement, but the Lions, usually buried in the 1 p.m. Eastern time slot, badly wanted a chance to show their stuff in front of a national audience. Now, they will officially get that chance. Kickoff will be at 8:20 p.m. Eastern time Sunday, January 8, on NBC.
The team’s official Twitter account summed up the thoughts of the fanbase, tweeting that it’s been a yearlong wait for a prime-time game of significance.
“Waited all year for Sunday night,” the team tweeted, a nod to the show’s theme song.
Defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs, an anchor on the defense, responded to the Lions’ tweet with a smiley face in sunglasses.
Offensive tackle Taylor Decker, who expressed his desire for the game to be flexed after the Lions beat the Chicago Bears on January 1, simply tweeted: “Under the LIGHTSSSSS.”
Dan Campbell: Lions Embrace Big Game Mantra
At times, NFL coaches can be all about coach-speak. On January 2, though, Lions head coach Dan Campbell appeared up front about the challenge facing the team.
“We’ll tell them the magnitude. This is big. That’s what we do. This is big and it’s going to be fun and let’s go,” Campbell told reporters. “I mean, the intensity is up now. This is a playoff game and they’re going to know that and so that’s how we’re going into it.”
Campbell said the game gives the Lions (8-8) a great opportunity to get used to the big stage and understand the changes that can play out in an NFL season.
“I think it’s important get used to being here because this is where you want to be. You want to be in the thick of it and you always want to have a chance to get in or have gotten in. So this has got to be where we’re at. I do think it’s very important to get to this point, especially for a young team overall,” he said. “You understand there’s 17 games in a season, and it’s a lot of football. There’s a lot of things that can happen.
“You look at the ebbs and flows of this season and different teams, including us. All the hype one way or all the lows one way: This team’s written off and they’re back, this team is the greatest thing that’s happened in years and now look at the slide they’re on. It’s natural. It’s been that way for years and you just got to be consistent and just handle your business. Go to work every week,” he said.
Lions-Packers Earned Key Week 18 Flex
The Lions-Packers game was one of the Week 18 games that were in play for Sunday Night Football, and the league made the move to flex the game to the nighttime slot for Sunday, January 8. ESPN’s Field Yates revealed the move and the flex on Monday, January 2.
“Official: Packers vs. Lions on Sunday Night Football for Week 18,” Yates tweeted.
The league also announced its other Week 18 flex games. In the Saturday doubleheader on January 7, the Las Vegas Raiders (6-10) will host the Kansas City Chiefs at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time. Then at 8:15, the Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8) will host the Tennessee Titans (7-9) in a win-or-go-home game.
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