NFL
Why aren’t the Detroit Lions playing in the Wild Card Round?
With an impressive regular season record of 15-2, the Lions join Kansas City Chiefs in bypassing the Wild Card round.
Despite being one of the most illustrious names in NFL history in their 94 years of existence, the Detroit Lions are one of the few teams in the league to have never tasted Super Bowl success or to have even progressed to a final.
Long derided by Motor City sports fans who have enjoyed Detroit success with NBA side the Pistons in the late 80s and early 90s and then with NHL side the Red Wings who were the dominant NHL force in the late 1990s and early 2000’s, the Lions were always considered the ‘poor relation’.
As they did last season, the Lions have impressed in the regular season with Dan Campbell as coach winning 15 of their seventeen match-ups (as opposed to their 12-5 record for 2023) and are tipped by many experts to go all the way this year.
One further for the Lions
Last season the Lions fell short in San Francisco as they lost to the 49ers by just three points in the Conference Championships.
By virtue of their no. 1 seeding this year, the Lions avoid the Wild Card round and, on paper at least will face the lowest seeded side in the next round which could be the winners of the Rams/Vikings clash.
Given the way the brackets are shaping up and taking into consideration of the unpredictability of the NFL postseason, a Lions-Chiefs ‘dream’ Super Bowl final in New Orleans next month is still very much a strong possibility.
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.