No playoffs, no problem; Lions fans optimistic about future
HAZEL PARK, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – It wasn't the season finale Detroit Lions fans had in mind.
Entering Sunday, on top of needing to beat the Green Bay Packers, all Detroit needed was for the Seattle Seahawks to lose to the Los Angeles Rams to help clear the way for the Lions' first playoff berth since 2016.
But a 19-16 overtime win by Seattle sealed Detroit's fate.
And yet, despite missing the playoffs, Lions fans aren't dejected because, as Lions fans at the House of Shamrocks in Hazel Park will tell you, this season was different.
"We just missed the playoffs this year. I think it's a huge success," says Graham Anderson, a Lions fan from Detroit. "This is one of the rare times in my 30 years of life, I am optimistic for the Lions future."
And how couldn't you be optimistic?
Quarterback Jared Goff is coming off one of his best seasons, second-year wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown is emerging as a top-tier receiver, and the team's 2022 rookie class is among the best in the NFL – with stud defensive lineman Aiden Hutchinson leading the charge.
You could see all of that on the field Sunday night when the Lions beat the Packers up in Green Bay, 20-16.
This season has also been beneficial for Detroit businesses. Specifically, the city's sports and dive bars.
"The people are believing," said Shantia Lewis, one of the bartenders at the House of Shamrocks. "The more you believe, and the more [the Lions] win, the more you come out and support."
Detroit finishes the season 9-8 and armed with the 6th and 18th overall picks in the 2023 NFL Draft.
How General Manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell plan to use those picks is anyone's guess.
But one thing's for sure; in the minds of Lions fans, missing the playoffs next season won't be an option.
