Ryan Wooley: My Thought's On The Lions Playoff Run
For the first time since Ford Field opened, the Lions played in a meaningful game that had the whole state of Michigan buzzing. Christmas Eve 2011 featured something that most Lion fans could only dream about over the last decade, which was a chance to make the playoffs. With the 38-10 thumping they laid on San Diego, they not only proved they belong in the post-season, but that they're a true up and coming team.
Sure, there have been other games that may have meant something since the doors of Ford Field opened, like the time Detroit rolled Denver to start the year 6-2 in 2007, or even when they stopped the unbearable losing streak of 19 straight games in 2009 against the Redskins. However, for as great as those moments, or others have been, nothing will compare to Saturday night's win over the Chargers.
Saturday's game marked the turning point of a franchise headed in the right direction. It marked the end of a long painful decade that saw the team hit rock bottom at 0-16, and the beginning of something special with a young nucleus of players not only learning how to win, but actually doing it.
In a short span of two years, these Lions have nearly broken every "curse" around the team. They snapped the 26 game road losing streak, ended the drought of winning back to back games, and now eliminated a 12 year stretch of not making the playoffs.
It's actually hard to sit back and think that it has been 12 years since the Lions last made the post-season. Have you thought about how long 12 years really is? Think back to 1999. Where were you? I was 15, just entering my freshmen year of high school, gas cost $1.17 a gallon, and the number one song in the country was "Believe" by Cher!
When you think about it, 12 years is so long that an entire generation of kids would be in middle school now, never knowing what watching Detroit football in the playoffs is like! Sure, for those of us that have watched it, there isn't much to talk about with the only win coming in 1991, but at least we have seen playoff football.
That's what made Saturday's win over the Chargers so special. It was for the long suffering fans that have lived and died for this team. It was for the adults that watched the team with their Grandparents that are no longer with us as kids. It was for the Dads that spent Sunday afternoon watching the team with their sons and teaching them about football. It was for kids that grew up loving the team and wanting them to succeed, and yes, it was even for those that just jumped on the bandwagon this season. Saturday's win was for you, and me.
I admit it. I am a die-hard Lions fan. Always have been, always will be. Saturday's game was special to me because like you, I have lived through the bad and want so badly for this team to do well and win a Super Bowl. I've enjoyed watching the Red Wings, Tigers and Pistons have their success, but as much as I am a fan of the other Detroit teams, my "fandom" is not as big for them as it is with the Lions.
By Detroit making the playoffs, it is a huge step forward for the team as it solidify that Martin Mayhew and Jim Schwartz have put the right pieces in place, and shows the franchise is finally out of the rut that it fell into during the Matt Millen era. Now the next step is to win the playoff game, and add that to the list of streaks this team has ended.
In the meantime, everyone should enjoy the moment. Every fan has been waiting over a decade for this opportunity to watch Detroit play football in January, and the Lions certainly gave everyone what they wanted for Christmas this year.
