The Detroit Lions being in the playoffs is not a common sight, and this current Lions squad may very well be the best team the franchise has had in decades.
Detroit defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson is really liking his club’s chances this postseason, and he made some bold statements heading into its Wild Card Round matchup with the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday.
“We got two more banners to hang, if you know what that means,” Gardner-Johnson told reporters, via the Lions’ official team website. “Two more banners, and I’m not falling short on that. We’re not falling short, and I’ll be damned if that happens. We worked too hard. Like coach Dan says, we’re seasoned for this. We’re perfectly scarred for this.”
The initial banner Gardner-Johnson was referring to is the one that represents the NFC North division title, as Detroit captured its first division crown since 1993 this season.
However, he also wants the Lions to hang a couple of more banners: one for the NFC conference championship, and one for the Super Bowl title.
Not only has Detroit never won a Super Bowl, but it has never even participated in one. It did win the NFL Championship back in 1957, but that was before the Super Bowl was a thing.
As a matter of fact, this is only the fourth time the Lions have made the playoffs since 2000, and they have not won a playoff game since January 1992, when they made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game before ultimately falling to Washington.
Gardner-Johnson just returned from a pectoral injury this past weekend and logged four tackles and an interception in a win over the Minnesota Vikings. It was the first time he was on the field since September.
The Lions signed Gardner-Johnson last offseason.