The Detroit Lions were about an hour and a half from the Promised Land.
The Minnesota Vikings’ rival had reached an NFC Championship game just once before — about 30 years ago, losing to the Washington Commanders in 1991. Fast forward to 2023, and the Lions had their chance to, alas, visit the Super Bowl and proceeded to melt down.
Lions’ Collapse Made Vikings’ past Blunders Look Pedestrian, by the Numbers
Detroit was up 24-7 over the San Francisco 49ers, a team favored by a touchdown entering the matchup. The Fox telecast repeatedly panned to raucous fans gathered at Ford Field for a watch party, a conglomeration of hungry loyalists excited to see Detroit finally dispel decades of futility.