It was a wild ride for the Detroit Lions and their fans. But now it’s over.
The Lions lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game Sunday night 34-31. The Lions fell just short of their first trip to a Super Bowl.
Instead, the 49ers will play the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl on Feb. 11.
Michigan Public sports commentator John U. Bacon joined Morning Edition host Doug Tribou to talk about the Lions' historic season and Michigan football's new head coach.
Doug Tribou: The Lions were ahead 24-7 at the half Sunday night. Then things unraveled. We can’t talk about this game without talking about the two times Detroit coach Dan Campbell went for it on fourth down in the second half and fell short. Both times, the Lions were in field goal range. The second time a field goal would have tied the game. What was your view of those choices by Campbell?
"He is a gambler. His players love him for it. It got him this far. It's hard to change."John U. Bacon on Lions head coach Dan Campbell's controversial decisions to go for it on fourth down twice in the second half despite being in field goal range.
John U. Bacon: Well, a bit mixed. One, I wouldn't have done it. I'll say that. [Laughs] I would not have done the thing that didn't work. How's that for hindsight? Yes. That's one thing, but I will say a few things in his defense.
One, those are not gimme field goals. Detroit's kicking game is not the best, so those are not automatic. Two, one of the plays they called worked perfectly and the receiver dropped the ball. And three, look, on some level you got to dance with who you brung, as they say. That is Dan Campbell. He is a gambler. His players love him for it. It got him this far. It's hard to change.
DT: Lions quarterback Jared Goff threw for 273 yards and a touchdown. He was a big part of the team’s success this season. But Sunday night he also - as he has at different points this season - missed the mark on some key throws. A little high here, a little low there. Goff’s only 29. Can the Lions go further with him as their quarterback next season and beyond?
JUB: It's a fair question. There are only four or five elite quarterbacks in the league. Certainly [Kansas City's] Patrick Mahomes is one of them. Lamar Jackson of Baltimore is one of them. Jared Goff is not yet one of them. However, he has done a very good job on the grand scale. He's not their biggest problem. And I have to say again, his receivers dropped three or four that they should have had, which would have made a huge difference.
DT: What else stood out to you about the game?
JUB: Well, to quote [early 20th century sportswriter] Heywood Broun, the tragedy of man is not that he loses, but that he almost wins.
That's what stood out.
DT: Even after watching sports for my whole life and covering them for years, after a team is eliminated, I’m always still struck by how long the road seems just to get back to those kinds of games. So much has to go right.
Coach Dan Campbell said after the game, "So it's hard. You want to make the most of every opportunity. And we had an opportunity. We just couldn't close it out. It does, it stings. It stings."
For the Lions fanbase, which has seen so much losing over the decades, it’s a bittersweet moment - to see this fun season, and then not see it end with a title.
"You want to make the most of every opportunity. And we had an opportunity. We just couldn't close it out. It does, it stings. It stings."Lions coach Dan Campbell reflects on the team's NFC Championship loss to the 49ers
JUB: True. But look, they weren't expected to win a title, not even in that game last night. The only tragedy, as I said, is that they were ahead, you know, by a whole bunch in the first half and then couldn't close it out. But man, this team has been so much fun to watch. It's a very unified team. They clearly love Dan Campbell, and Dan Campbell clearly loves them. They won 14 games. Never in my lifetime. So this was truly historic and a ton of fun to watch. And let's not forget Sheila Ford Hamp, who took over the team a few years ago. She gets credit for this turnaround. Of all the Fords who've tried to make this thing go, she's the one who did it. So hats off.
DT: After we spoke Friday morning, the University of Michigan named Sherrone Moore its head football coach. Moore is the 21st coach in team history and the first African-American to hold the job at Michigan. He served as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach under Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh’s not an easy act to follow. What will Moore need to do to be a success?
JUB: Well, he's already got a few things, of course, that certainly help, and Harbaugh had them as well. And that is a ton of internal and external support. Sherrone Moore is well known to the players, to the current staff, to the fans, obviously, and to the administration. He is beloved, he is respected. So all that is very positive.
What will he need to do to be a success like Harbaugh? He needs to hire great assistant coaches — like Sherrone Moore — the way Harbaugh did. So that's the biggest thing you can do. He'll need to replace three or four, but he's got a great personality and guys like working for him and he's a straightforward, sincere guy. So I suspect he will be successful.
DT: John, thanks a lot.
JUB: Doug, thank you.
Editor's note: Some quotes in this article have been edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the full interview near the top of this page.
The University of Michigan holds Michigan Public's broadcast license.
