01/27/2024 at 12:00 CET
Yankee sports are full of successful and glorious narratives, with stories that transcend beyond the grass and turn players into immortal heroes for fans. But not all teams can boast of golden eras, at least in the most recent memory.. This is the case of the Detroit Lions in the NFLone of the most ‘losing’ teams in the history of the United States that seeks to seal its first appearance in a Super Bowl this Sunday… After more than 50 years!
The Michigan franchise, prior to the union between the AFL and the NFL in 1970 that would form the competition we know today, had achieved titles. Founded in 1930 under the name of Portsmouth Spartans and moved to Detroit in 1934 adapting the name of Lions, the team achieved up to 4 championships (1935,1952, 1953 y 1957), but since the ‘Super Bowl era in the late 60s’ they have accumulated countless disappointments.
From hell to glory
It seems untrue to say that the Lions are today one of the teams that plays football best and one of the most attractive on the gridiron, a city that has been plunged into the deepest hole in the NFL but now enjoys the best squad it has had in its entire history. It is not a trivial matter.
Detroit is, only behind the Arizona Cardinals, the team that has accumulated the most losses since the founding of the league, with 707. In the 70’s they didn’t even enter the playoffs, in the 80’s they fell once in a wild card and another in the division, and later their greatest milestone to date would come: led by the legendary Barry Sanders, they reached a Conference final in 1991, but lost miserably 10-41 against the Washington Redskins.
To put it in perspective, this season the Lions (12-5 record) they won their first playoff game in 32 years, a Wild Card clash against the Rams against the prodigal son, Matthew Stafford, Detroit’s idol for 12 infamous seasons. In addition, this season they also broke the curse of the AFC North tol clinch first division title since 1993. From feat to feat.
The Motor City is celebrating. The management has done an excellent job in the offices and they have one of the most powerful young cores in the league that, led by Dan Campbell on the bench, aspires to reach the first Super Bowl in franchise history. They will play the final of the National Conference against the San Francisco 49ers next Monday at 00:30 CET.
An unprecedented redemption
“We’ll kick you in the teeth” or “we’ll bite your kneecaps off” were some of the phrases that Dan Campbell he pronounced on the day of his presentation as the new Lions HC in January 2021. Three years later, he has turned one of the ‘laughing stocks’ of the sport into a clear contender for the title. The coach has changed the idiosyncrasy of the organization completely, giving it the identity that he had been searching for for so many decades.
Despite starting their first season (21/22) with a resounding 0-10, the tireless work of Cambpell and his assistant coaches – Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn – has paid off on the green. First they converted to Jared Goff in one of the most effective quarterbacks in the NFL, a boy who came from the Rams via transfer under the ‘bust’ banner and who has silenced all mouths. Without an arm talent of the caliber of Mahomes or Allen, his numbers this season have bordered on the elite: 4,575 passing yards (2o) y 30 touchdowns (4o).
The other ‘home run’ for the franchise in this dream reconstruction has been in the Draft. Brad Holmes has been right with practically all of his picks in important rounds. Penei Sewell, Amon Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs, Aidan Hutchinson and Brian Branch, all first- and second-year players, are part of the league’s aristocracy and despite their youth, they are the total leaders of a team that has the makings of winning the Vince Lombardi trophy. Of the 23 players chosen by Campbell and Holmes at the helm, 22 are still on the roster and most are part of the starting rotation.
A deadly attack
The offensive sector is the great stronghold of this team, one of the most dynamic, unpredictable and difficult units to contain in the NFL. These are his statistics per game this season:
- 3os in yards (391.4)
- 5os in points (27.2)
- 3os no touchdowns (3.4)
- 1os in terrestrial annotations (1.6)
The receivers room with St. Brown and rookie Laporta works like a charm thanks to the play actions generated by the ‘one two punch’ in the backfield formed by Gibbs (also a rookie) and Montgomery. Two starters in the protection line like Ragnow and Jackson are doubtful for the decisive game against the 49ers, and their availability will be key for the Lions’ aspirations. It should be remembered that San Francisco has the most powerful defensive line in the NFL: Bosa, Young, Hargrave, Armstead and even Warner will seek to break down Goff’s wall, so having their ‘guardians’ will be essential.
We are facing one of the most epic ‘fairy tales’ that American sports have ever seen. The Super Bowl – and history – awaits the Lions.
2024-01-27 11:00:13
#cursed #franchise #dreams #Super #Bowl #history
