The Detroit Lions can finally call themselves NFC North champions.
With Sunday’s 30-24 win over the Minnesota Vikings, the Lions captured their first divisional title since the 1993 season, when the franchise claimed what was then known as the NFC Central. Now, however, the Lions finally sit atop the foursome that has been known as the NFC North since the 2002 leaguewide realignment.
The playoff berth was also the Lions’ first since 2016. The franchise is looking to end a league-worst postseason victory drought that extends 31 seasons.
Detroit’s rushing attack tallied three touchdowns, including two from standout rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs, while the defense nabbed four interceptions from Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens. The final one, secured by safety Ifeatu Melifonwu, extinguished a last-minute drive by Minnesota and secured the victory.
‘This is special,’ Lions coach Dan Campbell said. ‘It’s something you don’t get to do all the time. They’re always special to win a division, I don’t care how many of them you get cause of the work that goes into it. But to do something that hasn’t been done in 30 years for a team is special. And that’s a special group of men back in there that are staying tame at this point.’
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Ahead of Sunday’s game, Lions defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson said he ‘might cry’ if the team wins the division.
“A lot of these guys … haven’t experienced calling themselves a champ, you know?’ said Gardner-Johnson, who signed with the team this offseason after helping the Philadelphia Eagles reach the Super Bowl last season. ‘This is a step in feeling like a winner.”
Others, however, shrugged off the franchise’s history as it relates to the current team.
“I’ve said this before, but we don’t carry the weight of the last 30 years here, we don’t,” Lions quarterback Jared Goff said. “It’s the 2023 Lions and we’re different than last year’s team and the year before and 30 years before that. So, we’re trying to make our mark this year and we have a chance to do it this week. But yeah, it’s been a long season, we’ve had some success and hopefully can get it done.”