By George B. Eichorn
The Detroit Lions remind me of a prize fighter who stirs up anger in his competition: come on, give me your best shot. Bring it on; try me.
The road to the Super Bowl goes through Detroit. Isn’t that something all Lions fans have waited to hear? Anything and everything thrown at the Lions is met with grit, determination and unity. More than a dozen injuries at one time? No problem.
Detroit demonstrated this potent combination at Ford Field last Sunday as they shut down the Minnesota Vikings in a winner-take-all game featuring a NFC North division title, No. 1 seeding in the NFC and home field advantage through the playoffs but not including the Super Bowl which is hosted by New Orleans. The 15-2 Lions get a bye as do the AFC’s Kansas City Chiefs.
Owner Sheila Ford Hamp, GM Brad Holmes and Coach Dan Campbell changed the atmosphere in Allen Park and now are reaping the rewards of that cultural shift. No more Same Old Lions (SOL). No more excuses. And no more bad attitudes from this cast of excellent team players.
Detroit dismantled Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold whose stats entering the showdown were quite similar to the Lions Jared Goff. No problem said Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn; we got your back! The result was a week 18 win, 31-9, in front of another raucous crowd in downtown Detroit.
“It’s step one,” quarterback Jared Goff said. “We’re proud to be 15-2, NFC North division champs — back to back, No. 1 NFC seed, a bye week — all that stuff. But this just tick No. 1 and tick No. 2 is next.”
The defensive stops were nearly flawless. Campbell and Glenn decided to assign cornerback Amik Robertson a most-important role: defend All Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson. The corner covered JJ like a blanket as the Vikings stud was held to six targets resulting in just two catches for 48 yards. Robertson made 5 tackles and earned a game ball from Campbell in the victorious Lions locker room.
Jahmyr Gibbs had a career day. He scored a franchise record-tying four touchdowns in a brilliant display of offense. His 23 carries, 139 yards and 3 rushing TDs helped seal the deal for the Motor City cats.
“He was big and I felt like he gained steam as the game went on,” Campbell said of Gibbs after the game. “I thought he got better and better and better. You could really feel it after that last red zone stop and that next carry, he just breaks it down the sideline. You could feel it.”
Earning a bye is what Campbell and his staff wanted all along. The Lions have endured so many injuries this long season and their only week off came early in week 5. Gibbs has admirably stepped in for his partner David Montgomery who shared the backfield load most of the season. Even in victory the Lions saw three more players go down: cornerback Terrion Arnold, defensive tackle Pat O’Connor and offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler.
Reach George Eichorn at [email protected] or @Sandgsports99 on X (formerly Twitter). Order his book:
Detroit’s Sports Broadcasters: On the Air: Eichorn, George B, Introduction Harwell, Ernie.
