The Detroit Lions are no stranger to futility. They are one of only two teams (the other being the Cleveland Browns) that been in existence since the advent of the Super Bowl and never played in it.
Over the course of the 52 Super Bowls that have been played there are definite tendencies that have played out. Tendencies that the Lions have spend more than half a century avoiding. And while those tendencies can sometimes fluctuate, they are generally a good rule of thumb as to who is truly in contention to win the Super Bowl and who isn’t.