Make playoffs for the first time since 1999

2012 meant the start of New Years’ Resolutions and creating new goals. For the Detroit Lions, 2012 meant the start of a new beginning.

For the first time since 1999, the Lions made it to the playoffs. They clinched their playoff birth after a victory against the San Diego Chargers on Christmas Eve. 

It’s not too long ago that fans of the sport tuned in to watch them lose every game of the season, going 0-16. Now, fans tuned in on “Wildcard Saturday” to watch the Lions play the New Orleans Saints.

I called it the battle of the number nines. Lions quarterback, Matthew Stafford, and Saints quarterback, Drew Brees, both wear the number nine. Their number isn’t the only thing that they have in common. They also both threw over 5,000 passing yards in the regular season. They are both quarterbacks for teams in cities that are making coming backs.

Brees led the Saints to the Super Bowl in 2009, four years after Hurricane Katrina hit. According to an article in the “Detroit News”, Stafford has said that he is sure that the Lions will be making regular postseason appearances from now on. Creating football comeback for a city that has been “down in the dumps” since the automobile industry hit a very large roadblock.

“ESPN” analysts were saying the Lions were going to have a hard time facing the Saints in the Superdome. They had a record of 8-0 at home, including a 31-17 victory against the Lions in early December.

The Lions were prepared for their first playoff game. They scored first and at the half they were leading 14-10. The second half wasn’t as pretty. The Saints outscored the Lions and ultimately won the game 45-28, but I have hope that 2012-2013 season will bring new things for Lions.

After the end of the 2010-2011 season, the coach of the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers said that the Lions were going to be a force to be reckoned with next year. He was right. With pieces like Stafford, Calvin Johnson and Ndamukong Suh, the Lions have great potential and they showed a glimmer of hope for what the future will be like.

I have high expectations for next season and I bet most of you other Lions fans out there do too. 2012 is a new beginning for us. One that I hope includes more Monday Night Football games and another playoff birth.

[WRITER’S NOTE: ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AT WWW.SAUPULSE.COM]