The Detroit Lions were on the precipice of doing something they hadn’t in franchise history. Their first-ever Super Bowl appearance was 30 minutes away with a 17-point lead in hand. Then, quite literally, the ball slipped through their hands.
Thanks to a litany of mistakes from Detroit and 27 unanswered points via the San Francisco 49ers, this Lions season ends as so many before it: heartbreak.
And, sure, there are plenty of reasons to hold your head up high after a remarkable season that saw decades-long droughts end. The team is still remarkably young, and the people in positions of power have proven to be extremely capable of their jobs.