Jeff Riger: Is The Lions Playoff Game Really Unwinnable?
It's pretty interesting to hear all the chatter as the Lions get ready to play in their first playoff game in 12 years. If you ask any Lion fan, hell ask anybody in Detroit or for that matter the world, people are giving the Lions absolutely NO chance of winning Saturday in the Big Easy against the Saints.
And I get it! I even believe it!
But after simulating the game on Madden 2012, I suddenly had a realization that the Lions will NOT get blown out! I, like you still think they will lose, however, I think it will be a close loss, a game where Detroit might have a last possession to win a playoff game for the first time in what seems forever. Sure Drew Brees holds the single season record for most yards. Sure Marques Colston, Lance Moore (if he plays) and Devery Henderson scare you to death. And yes they even have somewhat of a running game with Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles. Oh and did I forget that they have one of the best Tight Ends in the game in Jimmy Graham? And of course they are a perfect 8-0 at home too.
So why do I think they have a chance? I'm not even sure after rereading that last paragraph. But I'm going to try to sell you anyhow.
The Saints are good, real good, but the Lions offense is good as well. I don't feel like I have to tell you how special Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson have been this season. Plus the Saint's defense is the 30th ranked in the game, meaning Detroit will be able to get their fair share of points. The Lions are also possibly the healthiest they have been in weeks. Jim Schwartz was talking the other day about how excited he is that his team can roll 8 defensive linemen in and out of the game, something they did not even come close to doing the first time they played the Saints. Ndamukong Suh is also back after missing that first game due to a suspension and Chris Houston, Louis Delmas and others are set to make their much needed return in this game as well. I also think that it might have been a blessing that the Detroit defense got lit up by a bunch of Green Bay Packer second stringers on New Year's day. Think about it, if they aren't the most focused and embarrassed at practice after that performance, then they just aren't worth the paychecks that they are cashing each week. Very rarely do you see decent defense like the Lions get lit up two weeks in a row. Of course this year's Saints usually is not one of the teams that you have to go against, but you get my point right?
I believe the Lions will make a game out of this and have several chances to even win it throughout 60 minutes of football. In fact if you think back to the last game in New Orleans, Detroit only trailed by a touchdown to start the 4th quarter and that was with so many silly penalties and so many injured players. So they have a chance, is it a legit chance? Probably not, but it's a chance and from where this team has been I think any fan will take it. And depending on what sports you watch and when you have been a fan, an unwinnable game like this is not unprecedented in Detroit sports. Local teams have played games where the odds have been stacked against them and actually won. So you figure if they can do it, why can't the Lions?
Below I listed my top three most unwinnable games that Detroit teams won. They are in no particular order and they are all within my years of being a fan. Read on and then tell me what I missed?
-Yankees vs. Tigers ALDS in 2006
I think a lot of people thought going back to Yankee Stadium this past season for a must win game 5 to advance to the ALCS was unwinnable. But it didn't seem anywhere near as hopeless as in 2006 when the Tigers blew a chance to win their division and were forced to have to play the ALDS starting in New York rather than having home field advantage against the A's in the first round. That 06 Yankee's team was stacked with the likes of Jeter, A-Rod, Abreu, Cano and even Sheffield. Nobody thought the Tigers could beat the "Evil Empire" to advance to the ALCS. But they did and they did it in four games. Who could forget the celebration at Comerica Park on that vivid Saturday night when the Tigers won 8-3 and Jeremy Bonderman went 8 and a third of 5 hit 2 run baseball. It was awesome and electric and unbelievable as well. I remember standing there on the field thinking the myself "is this really happening?"
The Tigers had to win 3 games to advance in that series, the Lions only have to win one.
-Pistons vs. Lakers Finals in 2004
When you start to list Detroit's biggest upsets or unwinnable games, who can forget about the '04 Pistons who somehow with no superstars won a NBA title. To this day, that championship is one of the most improbable titles in sports, at least to me. For everybody that thought the Tigers didn't stand a chance against the Yankees in '06 there was triple the amount of doubters that were sure the Pistons would get swept by the Lakers in '04. Think about how hard the West was to win that year! L.A. went through the Rockets, Spurs and finally the T-Wolves all with ease as they awaited the Pistons in Southern California. Kobe, Shaq, Fisher, Malone and Payton were unstoppable and who could forget how game 2 ended at the Staples Center? Kobe hitting that buzzer beater to send the game to overtime and eventually the series back to Detroit tied at one game apiece. Even when Detroit had a chance to close things out at the Palace I fully did not believe. I kept waiting for the Lakers to wake up and dominate. It never happened! Detroit was too good or the Lakers imploded. Whichever one it was, it doesn't even matter. Nobody thought the Pistons could win that series and they had to win four games. The Lions just have to win one!
-Tigers stop Roger Clemons from win #300
Throughout the course of Detroit sports you can find the occasional MSU going to Columbus and beating a number one ranked Ohio State team or an unranked Michigan Basketball team defeating a number one ranked Duke team. It happens in every city and state all over the country. While impressive it's only one game and upsets happen all the time. And the top two examples of unwinnable games have really been unwinnable series so my final example is that of just a single game. The day was June 1st, 2003 and the game was at Comerica Park. Roger Clemons was going for his 300th win and considering how bad the Tigers were that season he was for sure going to get it. Detroit trailed 7-1 against Clemons and I remember how appalled I was that this "Yankee Cheater" was going to celebrate in my ballpark. Clemons family was in a suite and Yankee's PR was already telling all media that would listen that the "Clemons 300 Win" press conference would be after the game in a determined room. But then the unthinkable happened! Baseball's worst team came back and scored 5 runs to off "the Rocket" to drive him out of the game. Clemons pitching line was horrendous lasting just 6 innings of 6 run, 7 hit baseball. Of course since Clemons left with the lead, all his bullpen had to do was register 9 outs for him to still get the win.
Just like the Tigers did best back then, they scored just enough to lose and Detroit fell in 17 innings 10-9. But in the process of losing, Clemons did not get the win, so I walked away from the park that day feeling like it was a win. IN case you were wondering Alfonso Soriano and Jorge Posada homered off of Steve Sparks in the 17th inning to give the Yankees the game. But again, Clemons got the no decision and what more could I really ask for?
I hope the last three examples of unwinnable games and series helped prove why one of sports oldest clichés is in fact true. "That's why they play the games!" Sure it sounds cheesy and has nothing to do with what will transpire Saturday at the Superdome. But at least the Lions have a chance, the same chance that the above Detroit teams had that came away with victory or close to victory in the '03 Tigers case.
If they did it, why can't the Lions?
