Fall has finally arrived, which means football is back. The first NFL weekend kicked off Sept 5 with a slate of 16 exciting games. We even got to see the first ever NFL game take place in Brazil. Some teams had better days than others, but Detroit fans are satisfied for now. The Detroit Lions started the season off in winning fashion with a 26-20 victory over former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams. This is the Detroit Sports Deadline bringing the latest on sports in the motor city.
Last season ended bittersweet for the Lions. After an unforgettable season, they lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC conference title game, putting their Super Bowl dreams just out of reach. Despite the loss the Lions finished 12-5 in the regular season. On top of that they won the NFC North division for the first time since 1993. Fans and players had so much to be impressed by with the Lions last season. If anything came out from that season, it made everyone hungry for this upcoming season. The Detroit front office made sure their dominant season carried over by signing key players to massive contracts. Wide Receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown along with Quarterback Jared Goff each signed 4-year contracts worth 120 million and 212 million dollars. Other key re-signings included Penei Sewell, Dan Skipper, Brock Wright, and Graham Glasgow. With these signings along with returning offensive weapons: Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, and Jameson Williams, the Lions showed fans they are ready to go all the way in the 24-25 season.
The Lions kicked off the new season during primetime against the Los Angeles Rams. Fans brought back their energy as they packed into Ford Field once again. The Rams put the first three points on the board with a field goal halfway through the first quarter. The Lions wasted no time and responded with their own field goal to tie it up. They weren’t done after that however, and put up two touchdowns courtesy of Gibbs and Williams. The rest of the game remained tight with back to back scoring and defensive stops. Each team gave their best and regulation ended with a score of 20-20. The Lions won the important overtime coin toss to gain the first possession to try and win. They used their advantage to quickly move down the field and set up for Montgomery touchdown to win 26-20. “Early in the season, a lot of games come down to who makes the fewest mistakes,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “We made one less than they did.”
It’s always great for a team to start off in the winning column. Every win helps for the Lions as they work towards the rest of the season. Next week they continue their home opener against Tampa Bay at Ford Field as they look to go to 2-0. “If you’re hunting us, you won’t have to look far. We’re going to be on your front porch” Said Campbell regarding their new target. Last season the Lions worked to prove themselves, now they are working to prove their dominance is here to stay.
