This was their season, all tied up neatly with a bow.
And how else could it end, really, because the Lions were the gift that kept on giving in 2019, particularly to those they knew best.
Sunday, it was another blown lead against their would-be rivals from Green Bay, as Detroit spent most of an afternoon threatening to play spoiler before finally relenting and handing the Packers exactly what they wanted: A win and a first-round bye in the playoffs, with a chance to earn home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
The final score was 23-20 in favor of the visitors at Ford Field, though it was hard to tell for sure with so many Packers fans in the stands cheering as Mason Crosby’s last-second kick sailed through the uprights.