The Lions Cannot Sustain Their Roar Against the 49ers Who Will Face Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII

Tonight, I watched the NFC Final between the Detroit Lions and the San Francisco 49ers. The Lions led at the half 24-7. But the 49ers roared back with 34 unanswered points. The Lions did have the option of kicking two field goals but opted to go for it on fourth down. While this tactic often worked for them during the regular season, it did not succeed. Lions QB Jared Goff did toss a touchdown pass with a minute left in the game to make it a 34-31 game. A failed onside kick, however, sealed the Lions fate.

The 49ers will face the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs who won the AFC Final earlier today besting the Baltimore Ravens 17-10. It will be a rematch of Super Bowl LIV in which the Chiefs won 31-20. The Chiefs will attempt to become the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since the New England Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVIII and Super Bowl XXXIX in 2004 and 2005. 

I was rooting for the Lions as they have never played in the Super Bowl. When I lived in Thunder Bay, Ontario, we received our U.S. TV signals from Detroit. The Lions were the fourth most popular team in Detroit behind the Tigers which had won the World Series in 1984 and an AL East title in 1987, the Pistons which won back-to-back NBA titles in 1988 and 1989. Although I would leave Thunder Bay in the early 1990's, the Red Wings were contenders and won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1997 and 1998 and win two more Cups in the 2000s. 

Yes, the Lions did have one of the greatest running backs in NFL history with Barry Sanders and they did have some good teams in the 1990's they could never get to the championship game. The Lions regressed in the 2000's reaching their nadir with an 0-16 season in 2008. The early 2010s were better when Matthew Stafford was at QB, but he would find Super Bowl success in Los Angeles two years ago. After trading Stafford for Goff, the Lions were in danger of replicating that season two years ago when Dan Campbell was named head coach losing their first 10 games finishing the season 3-13-1. In 2023, the Lions would have a Cinderella season. But alas they will not be going to the ball.

With that said, I hope the 49ers prevail against the Chiefs. This might make Taylor Swift fans unhappy, but it's been almost 30 years since the 49ers last won the Super Bowl and it has been a long road back.