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Paths of recent conference runners-up bode well for Lions

The Detroit Lions’ second-half collapse in Sunday’s NFC championship game is not exactly something to build around.

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2022 49ers & Bengals

NFC:

The Niners tied up their 2022 NFC title game with the Eagles 6:31 into the second quarter and that was about the last good thing that happened, as they lost two QBs to injury — remember, Josh Johnson attempted 13 passes — and lost, 31-7. This season went slightly better, as Brock Purdy stayed healthy throughout and the 49ers, outside of a three-game losing streak, dominated the NFC to earn the No. 1 seed and, eventually (see above) nab a Super Bowl berth.

AFC: The defending AFC champs forgot Rule No. 1 of the AFC title game: Don’t let Patrick Mahomes have the ball. Forced to punt in ™Š ²“†‘ ’Ž“š™Š ™Š mŠ“Œ†‘˜ œŠ—Š “”ˆŠ‰ off by a 45-yard FG with 3 seconds left.

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2021 49ers & Chiefs

NFC:

In the title game, the Niners led by 3 at the half and by 10 entering the fourth quarter. And then L.A.’s Matthew Stafford got ahold of one of the fourth quarter invincibility icons he used so often in Detroit and led the Rams to 13 points and a 20-17 victory. The 49ers’ follow-up campaign was a little rocky — remember, they started with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback and ²“Ž˜Š‰ ™Š •‘†ž”‹‹˜ œŽ™ n—Ž˜™Ž†“ xˆn†‹frey as the emergency QB — but they did go 13-4, discover Purdy was start-worthy and, ahem, return to the title game.

AFC: The Chiefs’ loss in overtime — after tying it up with 3 seconds left (remember Rule

No. 1 of the AFC title game?) de“ŽŠ‰ ™Š’ œ†™ ˆ”š‘‰ †›Š “”œ ‡ŠŠ“ ²›Š straight Super Bowl trips. They bounced back OK in 2022, we’d say, going 14-3 and grabbing the No. 1 seed en route to a Super Bowl return.

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2020 Packers & Bills

NFC:

The 2020 NFC title game matchup feels like a lifetime ago, with Tom Brady now retired (and set to become a broadcaster next season) and Aaron Rodgers a New York Jet (for four plays, at least). The Packers, meanwhile, went from three losses in 2020 to four in 2021 — mainly because the NFL went to a 17-game schedule. They still won 13 games and earned the No. 1 seed before getting upset in the divisional round.

AFC: The Bills forgot AFC title game Rule No. 1 a whole bunch, and Mahomes and his Chiefs scored a whole bunch to return to the Super Bowl with a 38-24 win. The Bills, meanwhile, went from 13-3 and the No. 2 seed in 2020 to 11-6 and the No. 3 seed in 2021, which meant another trip to Kansas City — this time in the divisional round (in which they also ignored Rule No. 1, to their displeasure in an epic 42-36 overtime loss).

2019 Packers & Titans

NFC:

Aaron Rodgers and the second-seeded Pack lost the NFC title game, 37-20, to the top-seeded Niners and Garoppolo, who attempted all of eight passes (and completed six). The next season went a bit better, as the Packers grabbed the top seed with a 13-3 record … only to lose in the conference championship to ˜”’Š xŽˆŽŒ†“ †‘š’“š˜ Ž“ Ž˜ ²—˜™ ˜Š†˜”“ in the NFC.

AFC: The feel-good story of the playoffs — the sixth-seeded Titans upset the Patriots and Ravens on the road to losing to the Chiefs in Kansas City (see Rule No. 1). Tennessee was a feel-good story in 2020 as well, going 11-5 and winning their ²—˜™ ‰Ž›Ž˜Ž”“ ™Ž™‘Š ˜Ž“ˆŠ % ™†™ Š“‰Š‰ —”šŒ‘ž ”œŠ›Š— œŽ™ † ²—˜™Z—”š“‰ ‘”˜˜ to the Ravens — the Titans haven’t won a playoff game since reaching the 2019 AFC title game.