Lions Win First Playoff Game in 32 Years and Other Notes from Wild-Card Weekend

As of January 1, 2016 I had never seen a team of mine advance in the playoffs. 8 years later and I've seen the Chiefs win 13 playoff games and 2 Super Bowls. 8 years later and I've seen the Avalanche win 7 playoff series and a Stanley Cup. So I had a long drought and since then I've been spoiled. 

But it was 8 years ago that I was going nuts for a Chiefs wild-card win. And I posted this graphic.

It shows the last playoff win for each NFL team, and it was updated through the end of the 2014-2015 season. There were 5 NFL teams that hadn't won a game since the 90s. 

Bengals 1990

Lions 1991

Chiefs 1993

Browns 1994

Bills 1995

And then over the last several years, these teams started removing themselves from the list. The Chiefs, Bills, Browns and Bengals had all won a playoff game. Leaving just the Lions. 

In 2018, 2019, and 2020 the Lions finished last in their division under Matt Patricia. 

In 2021, Dan Campbell took over the Lions and promised to eat kneecaps and Ws. They finished last in their division again. 

In 2022, the Lions started 1-6. It sure seemed like Campbell was a bust and Goff was not the answer. It seemed like yet another rebuild was in order for Detroit. 

Then a funny thing happened. They got good. Like all of a sudden. They went 8-2 down the stretch. They beat Rodgers in his last game as a Packer and prevented Green Bay from making the playoffs. 

The Lions came in as a preseason hot pick and it actually panned out. They went 12-5 and won the NFC North for the first time. 

And now they just won a playoff game. 

That's a stretch of 21-7 from a team that looked ready to blow it up. Now they're favored by 6 at home in the Divisional Round. One game away from the NFC Championship game. (And there is absolutely a world in which the Packers will be coming to Detroit for that game.)

This is literally the first year the Lions have ever hosted multiple playoff games. 

The Lions are peaking in the Super Bowl era. 

So yeah, if you see any Lions fans, give 'em a high five. It's been a long time coming but they deserve it. 

- - - 

Here's up to the minute odds to win, reach the Super Bowl. 

Lions are just 3-1 to make the Super Bowl, 2nd best odds in the NFC. 

A Chiefs-Lions Super Bowl is down to 16-1. Was 22-1 when both teams were 5-1 earlier in the season. 

Lions are more likely than Chiefs to get to the Super Bowl. (Chiefs are more likely to win the Super Bowl.)

- - -

Here's my updates to QB rankings taking into account Wild-Card Weekend, but trying not to overreact to one game:

(Also, keeping bold as active in the playoffs.)

1. Mahomes

2. Allen

3. Burrow

4. Lamar

5. Hurts

6. Stroud

7. Herbert

8. Purdy

9. Goff

10. Tua

11. Dak

12. Lawrence

13. Cousins

14. Love

15. Stafford

16. Rodgers

17. Fields

18. Kyler

19. Richardson

20. Mayfield

21. Geno 

22. Russell

23. Carr

24. Flacco

I think you have to keep the top 5 intact. But Stroud has really come on strong. 

Goff solidified his placement as a top-10 qb. Dak moved down a tier. Regular season Dak is top 10 but playoff Dak is not in the top 15. 

In the same vein, warm-weather Tua is top 10 but cold-weather Tua is not. The Dolphins as a whole were not healthy, but it does make you think that the Dolphins really needed the #1 seed and home field advantage to win in the playoffs. 

6 of the 10 best QBs made it to the final 8 teams alive. 

In less than a week, we get the #1 vs #2 matchup and it's finally in Buffalo.