The time for moral victories in Detroit expired a while ago. No one inside that building is celebrating 15 wins or back-to-back division titles. Not after the way last season ended. Not when this team has already proven it’s good enough to make franchise history, just not good enough to finish the job.
It’s been two straight years of flirting with greatness. The Lions were a game away from the Super Bowl in 2023, then followed it up with the best regular season in franchise history. They earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC. They had a home playoff game against a rookie quarterback, and they blew it.