Talk about a brutal way to end a season. The Detroit Lions were THIS close to achieving glory. They had the first-seeded San Francisco 49ers on the ropes all game long, and they held a sizable three-possession lead. However, the team brutally collapsed in the second half of the game, allowing San Francisco to swoop in and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

This loss is going to sting for quite some time. If there's one thing the Lions can do from this loss, though, it's to never forget how they feel in this scenario. Amon-Ra St. Brown, speaking to reporters after this devastating defeat, echoed this exact sentiment, per Pro-Football Talk.

“I think that feeling that we all had walking off of that field — I don’t think any one of us want to feel that again if we can,” St. Brown said, via MLive.com. “I think the feeling that we have is enough to motivate us for next year. We had a good year as a whole, but it is all for nothing if you don’t win the whole thing. Everyone’s goal to start the year is to win the Super Bowl. And if you don’t? You kind of fail the season. Whatever you lose here in the NFC championship or don’t make the playoffs, it is all the same. We will be ready.”

On paper, the Lions had a remarkable season, especially considering where this team was when Dan Campbell took over. They won the NFC North and ended up as runner-ups in the NFC. However, expectations for this team were sky-high. It wasn't quite Super Bowl-or-bust, but many hoped that they could complete their long-winded Cinderella story by knocking off the San Francisco 49ers.

Boy, did they come close to reaching that goal, though. The Lions had the 49ers on the ropes for most of the first half, holding a 17-point lead at one point in the game. It seemed that they were close to winning and punching a ticket to Las Vegas. However, Detroit's trademark ultra-aggressive playcalling backfired on them, and San Francisco capitalized.

Now, the Lions are left wondering what else they could've done to win the game. There's plenty of time in the offseason to mull over this loss and learn from the agonizing experience. What's important, though, is how they bounce back after this loss. It will be fascinating to watch this Detroit squad bounce back after this loss.