Jared Goff, Dan Campbell, and the Detroit Lions are familiar with the narratives. The team is leading the NFC North by a few games by the midway point of the season. They face an upcoming stretch of games against teams with winning records. Detroit finds themselves in a bit of a slump. Any one of these scenarios creates the same reaction: “It doesn't matter, they're the Same Old Lions.”
The 2023 season has been one of narrative-breaking for Detroit. Many thought the Kansas City Chiefs would expose them to start the year. However, it was Detroit who came away with a major season-opening win against the defending Super Bowl champions.
Detroit then fell hard against the Baltimore Ravens after a 5-1 start to the season. After another three wins, they then stumbled against the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. Yet again, doubts set in about the legitimacy of this team.
Christmas Eve put an end to those resurfaced doubts. The Lions defeated the Minnesota Vikings to win the NFC North championship for the very first time. Ifeatu Melinfonwu's interception clinched a feat not seen from Detroit in 30 seasons.
After that, Jared Goff and the Lions faced the Dallas Cowboys. And yet another ghost of the team's past reared its ugly head: controversial officiating. Detroit had the game against Dallas won after a two-point play to Taylor Decker. However, the refs declared that Decker didn't report as eligible. Detroit lost.
A victory over the Vikings in Week 18 set up a playoff matchup with the Los Angeles Rams. They had a home playoff game for the first time since the 1990s. And they had to go up against the man at the heart of modern iterations of the Same Old Lions narrative.
How Jared Goff, Dan Campbell officially buried the Same Old Lions
Matthew Stafford has a legitimate argument for being the best quarterback in Lions history. He leads the team in passing yards by a wide margin. His franchise record for touchdown passes is also held by a considerable amount over the next-best passer.
However, Stafford never found playoff success in Detroit. And as a result, he ended up as the face of the Same Old Lions narratives that plagued the team. He was the quarterback that blew multiple division leads. He was the guy who led the team that couldn't beat the best in the league.
The Lions could have fallen apart in front of their old signal-caller. Detroit could have stumbled once again under the bright lights. But it didn't happen. Detroit defeated Matthew Stafford on Sunday night by the score of 24-23. In the process, they put the final nail in the coffin of the Same Old Lions.
It isn't simply the playoff win that buries the narrative, though that certainly helps. It's the fact that they beat another ghost of their past. This win was not pretty, as Stafford played extremely well against his former team. However, Detroit stood firm when it needed to. It gritted out the win, as is Dan Campbell's modus operandi at this point.
There is still work to be done for this team to get to the place they want to go. But regardless of what's next, one thing about Detroit is certain. The Same Old Lions are now dead and buried thanks to Jared Goff and Dan Campbell.
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