Blase Gapinski | Culture Editor
As a Cincinnati Bengals fan, I’ve endured my share of playoff heartbreaks. Watching the Detroit Lions suffer a 45-31 loss to the Washington Commanders in the NFC Playoffs, I can’t help but feel sympathetic.
The Lions’ 15-2 regular-season record was historic, yet it ended in a painful blowout. Was all that success worth it if they couldn’t clear the first postseason hurdle?
While the pain of the loss is real, let’s not overlook what the Lions have built. Their record wasn’t a fluke; it’s a sign of real progress. The loss stings, but it highlights a monumental achievement for a franchise plagued by mediocrity.
I understand the pain of a playoff loss, especially after a stellar regular season. When the Bengals made it to the Super Bowl in 2021 after a 31-year drought, the journey felt worth every bit of heartache. We lost to the Rams, but the progress was undeniable. The same will happen for the Lions—their time will come.
In 2022, the Bengals entered the AFC Championship with high hopes, only to lose a heartbreaker to the Chiefs, 23-20. That loss is a reminder that even when you’re close, the margin for error is razor-thin.
Like Detroit’s loss, it shows that NFL success is more than regular-season dominance; it’s about executing when it matters. Losing in the playoffs, especially with high expectations, feels like a punch to the gut.
But let’s be honest: if you’re going to criticize the loss, you have to factor in injuries and a defense was decimated all season. Watching them was like watching a Bengals game: an offense that shines but a defense that falters. Even with the offensive talent, the Lions are still building their defense.
Bottom line: the Lions’ season, despite the painful ending, wasn’t a failure. They’ve laid a strong foundation. The loss to Washington doesn’t erase the progress or define their future. The Lions have come a long way and can compete with the best.
After the Bengals’ playoff disappointments, we made it to the Super Bowl and continue to chase championships, despite arguably being a worse team than the Lions. This is just the beginning, and with the core they’ve built, Detroit’s future has never looked brighter.
The pain of this loss will linger, but that’s part of the process. Welcome to the club! The Lions are building a team that can contend for years to come. In time, they’ll get over the hump. As a fan who’s been there, I know this: the best is yet to come. Stay patient, stay hopeful. The Lions are closer than ever to making their Super Bowl dreams a reality.
Connor Grypma | Sports Editor
Needless to say, the Detroit Lions playoff game on Saturday was devastating.
Heading into their matchup against the Washington Commanders, the Lions were the sole owners of the No. 1 seed in the National Football Conference. They got to skip the wild card round, but it didn’t mean anything at the end of the day. Getting blown out 45-31 is inexcusable as a top seed, and it is one of the worst losses I’ve witnessed as a Lions fan in recent years.
Granted, the past few seasons have been amazing as a Lions fan. We’ve seen records broken and tons of success, which seemed unrealistic in my early days of fandom. However, when it has boiled down to playoff time, our hearts have been repeatedly ripped out of our chests. It’s disheartening to see your team finish with the best record in the league (15-2) and then not win a playoff game.
When the big moment came around, the Lions were nowhere to be found. They hung around in the first half, but you simply can’t have four turnovers in a game of this magnitude. Sure, you posted 31 points, but the turnovers cost you a large portion of the game and took away tons of momentum.
As for the defense, I can’t say I expected anything better. The injuries kept piling on as the season progressed, and it was simply not fit to take on another high-powered offense. For years prior, the abysmal Lion’s defense held them out of games and prevented them from being competitive in the long run. After building back up to a solid unit, it was stolen back from us once again.
When you’re the Super Bowl favorite and expected to compete for a championship, a loss like this hurts even more. Even when the Lions succeed, it screeches to a sudden halt because of a bad game. There are tons of fans yelling, “Same Old Lions,” but that doesn’t make the loss hurt any less, and to be honest, it isn’t the same old Lions. The “Same Old Lions” didn’t put together a 15-2 regular season. The “Same Old Lions” were scraping out seven wins a year.
We’re in a new era of Lions football, but unfortunately, it yields a similar result. It’s times like these when I question if I’ll ever witness the Lions win a Super Bowl in my lifetime. I wish the season didn’t have to end the way it did. Back to the drawing board, I suppose.