As the NFL divisional playoffs began on Saturday, there seemed to be sure bets in both of the games that day.
That is, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs were going to beat the Houston Texans in the AFC game, and the Detroit Lions, who were having their best regular season in history and had earned home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, were going to defeat the Washington Commanders in the nightcap.
Only one sure bet came through, however, which is yet another warning to people who like to bet a lot.
Although they were challenged a lot by the Texans, the Chiefs ended up doing what they always do, find a way to win, no matter what happens in the game, especially at home in Arrowhead Stsdium, this time by a score of 23-14.
But the Lions lost 45-31, in part because quarterback Jared Goff let his team down big-time, accounting for four turnovers, including three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, but in bigger part because Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels simply outplayed him, living up to all the hype — and then some — as the hottest rookie in the league this season.
We will write more about Daniels, and the Comnanders overall, in the coming days, but the tale of the Lions is also the tale of the Browns from 40 years ago.
You hear all this talk about “the window of opportunity” for sports teams, including those in the NFL, and it is true. There is indeed such a thing. The window of opportunity existed last year for the Lions, who got all the way to the NFC Championship Game and lef the San Francisco 49ers 24–7 at halftime before completely collapsing in the second half and losing 34-31. When you’re winning by 17 with just a half to get to the Super Bowl, that is your window of opportunity, and the Lions blew it.
Last year, they had everything working in their favor in that they had no injuries to amount to anything. This year, they had all kinds of injuries. They had a better team this year on paper, but those injuries took it away from them.
I think that they will be the team to beat in the 2025 season, after they get injured players back they and have an offseason to think about what went wrong in that game against Washington.
In 1985, the Browns won the AFC Central with an 8-8 record and led the Miami Dolphins 21–3 in the third quarter in the divisional round at the Orange . They ended up losing 24–21. That was a great window of opportunity for them to get to the conference championship game against New England, which they had beaten during the regular season. As such, then they would’ve been playing at home.
And we all know what happened in 1986 and ‘87, with “The Drive” and The Fumble,” respectively. In 1986, that was the best chance they ever had to get to the Super Bowl. That was, then, a window of opportunity, but they couldn’t finish the job. And although they kept trying, making the playoffs all the way through 1989, they never got back that window. They blew it.
The looks on those Lions fans in the stands at Ford Field on Saturday night is how the Browns fans looked in 1986 during “The Drive” at Cleveland Stadium. The Lions fans have a chance to have the ultimate smile in this era, something the Browns fans never got. I am praying for them to do so.
Steve King