Lions seeking more history, 1st road playoff victory since 1957
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — The Detroit Lions have taken strides toward leaving their woeful history behind, pulling within a win of their first Super Bowl appearance.
The next step will be challenging.
Detroit plays at San Francisco on Sunday in the NFC championship game, aiming for the franchise’s first road playoff win since 1957, when it beat the 49ers and went on to win the NFL title.
“We’re just getting over mountains right now,” defensive end Aidan Hutchinson said after helping the Lions beat Tampa Bay to advance. “It’s just one mountain after another.”
The next one looms large.
The top-seeded 49ers are favored to win by a touchdown, according to Fanduel Sportsbook, in their third straight NFC title game. Detroit will be playing in the game for the first time in 32 years and the second time in franchise history.
The Lions, though, do not lack confidence after
beating the Los Angeles Rams in a wild-card game and the Buccaneers in the divisional round to give them 22 wins in 29 games starting with their season-ending surge in 2022.
“I don’t want to say this arrogantly, but we expected to win the first game, we expected to win this game,” Jared Goff said after throwing for 287 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday. “We get to go to a game we expected to be in against a really good team at their place, and we’re going to come into it expecting to win.
“It’ll be a tough game, but it’ll be fun.”
Detroit’s win over the Rams ended an Nfl-record, nine-game postseason losing streak that spanned 32 years. The victory over the Bucs gave the franchise two playoff wins for the first time since its championship season six-plus decades ago.
Note: Former threetime Pro Bowler Zach Ertz will initially sign with the practice squad to provide much-needed depth for the team’s injury depleted tight end position.