Allen Park — Maybe the Lions will be vying for a playoff spot Sunday night, maybe not. It depends on the Los Angeles Rams and journeyman quarterback Baker Mayfield, who must beat the Seahawks to open the door. In the very near future — like, starting next season — the Lions should be expected to open the door themselves.
From a national viewpoint, the Lions-Packers game Sunday night has everything to do with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, and little to do with Jared Goff and the Lions. That’s understandable, no matter how annoying you find it. The Lions need two underdogs, themselves and the 5-11 Rams, to win to reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season. Green Bay needs no help, just a victory in Lambeau Field over the Lions, who are 3-28 on the road against the Packers since 1994.
Major obstacle, obviously. But the Lions have hurdled so many recently, not much seems insurmountable. If they become the second team in NFL history to leap from 1-6 to the playoffs, it would be a remarkable achievement. Even if they miss the playoffs but beat the Packers, it would provide compelling evidence of their revival. Dan Campbell’s team has been pin-popping perceptions the past two months, and to finish with a winning record (9-8) and eliminate the Packers would knock down one more wall.
Rodgers is still the Lions’ reigning bogeyman, 18-7 against them. Do they need to beat him on that stage to convince you (and the rest of the NFL) they’re officially different? It would help, although I think they’ve already done that.
Exorcising demons
With a roster so young, the upward trajectory of the Brad Holmes-Campbell regime looks legitimate. Of course, success isn’t linear and rising teams don’t automatically keep rising. Nor are falling teams destined to fall forever. Hard to believe, I know. But consider the hurdles the Lions have cleared, one season after going 3-13-1:
They can’t win on the road and certainly not in the cold? They beat the Bears, Giants and Jets on the road in November and December, before stumbling at Carolina.
They’re never competitive in the NFC North? They finished last the past four seasons, but now are 4-1 in the division. If not for the Vikings’ unprecedented thievery — 11-0 in one-score games — the Lions and Packers would be playing for the division title.
They can’t ever run the ball, so why bother trying? That was pretty much true during much of Matthew Stafford’s tenure. The Lions haven’t finished in the top 10 in rushing since 1998, and right now are 11th. Jamaal Williams has 15 rushing touchdowns, one shy of Barry Sanders’ season record, and needs six yards to become the team’s second 1,000-yard rusher in 18 years, joining Reggie Bush.
Their defense can’t force turnovers, can’t sack the quarterback, can’t stop much of anything? Perfectly valid the first half of the season. Since then, Aaron Glenn has unleashed an array of young pass-rushers, from prized rookie Aidan Hutchinson (7.5 sacks) to prized sixth-round pick James Houston (eight sacks).
Rodgers is the reigning two-time NFL MVP but he was wobbling for a while, dealing with a broken thumb, bruised ribs and a severely lacerated ego. When the Packers were 4-8, some suggested it was time for the 39-year-old to sit and let Jordan Love play. Rodgers still does many things well, and one of them is keeping receipts from critics. He can crank up the smarm and swagger, like when the Lions beat him 15-9 in November and he blithely said, “We can’t lose a game like that against that team.”
“That team” has become “this team” and Goff has played like an elite quarterback with 15 touchdown passes and 0 interceptions the past eight games. This week, a more-cheerful Rodgers said, “It’s not the same old Lions,” although he also calls them a “dome team,” which is code for “soft team” affected by the elements.
After battering the Vikings 41-17 last Sunday, Rodgers cleared everything up, explaining the Packers’ turnaround like this: “I do believe in the power of manifestation. And I do believe in momentum. And I believe strongly in the force of the mind. When you start to believe something strongly, some miraculous things happen.”
Uhh, that’s a bit deep for mere mortals, and the initial reaction is, “Manifest this, pal.” But what Rodgers said actually is what Campbell preaches, in slightly less pretentious ways. You believe something, miraculous things happen.
So, what happened after the 1-6 start, Dan?
“Well, there again, we just stayed the course,” Campbell said. “Look, we came into the year and we hit a rough spot. We stayed with it, and then here we are. I just think more than anything, it’s — I don’t know what it says. I’m just rambling right now.”
‘Forged through adversity’
Do not mistake Campbell’s playful self-deprecation for lack of depth. Campbell is far shrewder than his folksy manner suggests. His hopeful message hasn’t changed since he took over, and it resonates more loudly when talent from Holmes’ shrewd drafting starts to develop.
Don’t be fooled by Goff’s tranquil demeanor either. From culture shock to culture change, he has been integral. In a revelatory season that has cemented his standing as the quarterback of the present and future here, Goff also has shown he can get deep, and go deep. He’s second in the league with 34 passes of 25-plus yards, clearing another obstacle.
“We’ve been forged through adversity, and there’s not much that can shake us anymore,” said Goff, who hasn’t thrown an interception in 290 pass attempts. “We’ve been through the ups and downs of a season and feel pretty good about where we’re at right now.”
Goff is the rare Lion who has played on all the big stages, including the Super Bowl with the Rams. This isn’t a playoff game but it is a play-in game. It’s also the Lions’ first prime-time TV appearance of the season, not counting Thanksgiving Day.
Goff said he’ll counsel young players, if asked, if needed. But he thinks they understand it. They know the stakes, they’ve heard Rodgers’ veiled swipes, they know Aaron Aura is the TV draw. It doesn’t seem to bother them, and it shouldn’t.
“Everybody has their own opinion,” said Amon-Ra St. Brown, crafting another superb season with 100 receptions. “If you look at the history of Detroit, they haven’t been too good, but we feel like we as a team can change it, and we’ve kind of shown it these past several weeks. But this game is going to be a true test for us.”
Precisely the way they want it, the way it has to be. And yes, the way it should be going forward.
It’d be presumptuous and foolish to suggest one game can shift control of the division, which the Lions haven’t captured in 30 years. But that’s their ultimate vision and this is the next obvious obstacle. A playoff bid this season and a division title next season? No sense running from it.
“We’ve got nothing to lose,” Campbell said. “We cut it loose, and let’s have the time of our life and find a way to win this game. At the very least, we’re playing one more game, and it’s going to be on a great stage and everybody’s going to see it, and one way or another, I think we’re going to embrace it. I really do, no matter what happens.”
The power of manifestation and belief? Sure, something like that.
Twitter: bobwojnowski