The Detroit Lions have enjoyed a successful few years under the coaching of Dan Campbell, including making it to the NFC championship game during the 2023-24 season and closing out the season the top seed in the NFC the following year. But, the team, of course, hasn’t made it to the Super Bowl yet. Ever. It’s the frustration of being a Detroit Lions follower. We love our team, but we wonder if they will ever make it to the big game.
Former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford won a Super Bowl with his current team, the Los Angeles Rams, during the 2021-22 season. It was a bit of a dagger to the heart to see Stafford get there right after leaving the Lions, but it is what it is. Some in the Motor City were happy for him, but others, understandably, were not.
Following the Rams’ Super Bowl win in 2022, they haven’t gotten close to getting back to the big game. Until now. The Rams are shaping up to be a team that could actually go all the way again with Stafford at the helm.
Former Detroit Lions Quarterback Matthew Stafford is Tops Again
The Los Angeles Rams are No. 1 on a bevy of NFL power rankings for Week 12 after their win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, November 16. So, it’s very possible that Stafford and the Rams could be making their way to another championship game.
ESPN has them at the top of their roster of teams, counting both the NFC and AFC, but says that special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn is under pressure going forward.
“After early-season protection issues on field goals and missed kicks led to a change at kicker and long-snapper before Week 10, it was clear special teams was a weakness for the Rams,” Sarah Barshop of ESPN states. “Since the switch from Alex Ward to Jake McQuaide at long-snapper and Joshua Karty to Harrison Mevis at kicker, the Rams have not attempted a field goal.”
She adds, “Mevis has made all nine of his extra point attempts in two games. If the kicking issues persist or cost the team more games, coach Sean McVay could be looking for a new special teams coordinator after the season.”
Eric Edholm of the NFL’s website also has the Rams at No. 1. “The Rams took a major step toward winning the NFC West with Sunday’s dramatic victory over the Seahawks, and they’re just behind the Eagles in the race for the top seed in the conference,” Edholm says. Danielle Flowers of Alternative Fix adds, “Lo and behold, the Rams might just be the real deal.”
Where the Detroit Lions Are in the NFL
Meanwhile, the Motor City went from No. 6 to No. 8 in ESPN’s weekly power rankings heading into Week 12 after their 16-9 loss to the Eagles. In the piece, ESPN says the person under the most pressure is offensive coordinator John Morton.
“Morton was stripped of his play calling duties after a Week 9 loss to the Vikings, and he might have to fight to secure a long-term role with the Lions,” Eric Woodyard of ESPN notes in the feature. “In 2024, Detroit led the NFL with 33.2 points per game under former OC Ben Johnson, and Morton was given the tall order of following the current Bears coach.”
So, the Lions have some soul searching to do before their finals games of the season. Let’s hope and pray they get to the final stretch, even if it means facing Stafford and the Rams.
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