Flash back 24 hours ago, and you couldn’t walk a foot in NFL discourse without running into a doubter of the Detroit Lions. With just a 4-3 performance in their last seven—including losses to the Bears and Packers—many wondered if the Lions were due for a one-and-done in the postseason, if they even got there.
But on Saturday night, in front of a national audience in primetime, the Lions got a statement win. The Lions didn’t just beat the Denver Broncos—arguably the hottest team in football—they absolutely dominated them. Detroit took Denver’s revitalized defense and hung 42 on them—the worst total the Broncos have ceded since their disastrous 70-20 loss to the Dolphins three months ago.