Detroit Lions Win First NFL Playoff Game Since the Introduction of the Dodge Viper

Currently, the Pistons are the worst team in the NBA, and haven’t been relevant since the mid-2000s. The Tigers have made the MLB playoffs just once in the past 10 seasons and haven’t won anything since 1984. The Red Wings? Just two playoff appearances in the past 10 seasons (and no series wins). As for the Lions, they hadn’t won a playoff game since the 1991-92 season.

Now, I’m not sure what happened yesterday, but the curse is finally broken! The Detroit Lions, after a successful NFL regular season, have just beaten the Los Angeles Rams 24-23 and will host the winner of the Eagles vs. Buccaneers match-up next Sunday at 3 pm.

So, how did we get here? Well, maybe it was Eminem going crazy on social media, trying to jinx Matthew Stafford and the Rams. Or maybe it was a solid team effort that led to the Lions escaping with a 1-point victory. To tell you the truth, I’m not 100% sure the best team won yesterday, because the Rams could have easily walked away with the win if one or two plays had gone their way.

The football gods had other plans though, and the Lions prevailed. They looked particularly strong in the first quarter, with Jared Goff, their QB, connecting with all his targets like they were playing Madden. Seriously, Goff went 9-for-9, for 111 yards in that initial quarter. Talk about efficiency.

What’s this got to do with the Dodge Viper?

Technically nothing. However, it’s interesting how we can associate two major successes for the city of Detroit, 32 years apart. The Viper was by far the most desirable car on sale in North America in January of 1992, the same month the Lions beat the Dallas Cowboys for what would become their last post-season win in over three decades.

The Lions would later fall to the Washington Redskins in the NFC Championship round, the same Redskins (now Commanders) that would go on to win Super Bowl XXVI against the Buffalo Bills.

Anyway, there are quite a few parallels between the 1991-92 Lions and the first-generation Dodge Viper, also known as the RT/10 Roadster. Not only do those previously mentioned timetables match, but the Viper was born and bred in Detroit (at the New Mack Assembly), with the Lions having been active in the "313" since the 1934 season. Originally, they were the Portsmouth Spartans (out of Portsmouth, Ohio).

As for other interesting American models that went on sale in 1992, we count the Dodge Intrepid and the Chrysler Concorde, the first-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee (ZJ), and the Police Interceptor variant of the first-generation Ford Crown Victoria.

How far are the Lions going this year?

I’ll have to catch the Tampa vs. Philly game today, but I think they have a fair shot against either of these teams in the Divisional round.

If I was a Lions fan, I’d probably root for the Buccaneers to beat the Eagles, seeing as how the Lions already crushed Tampa Bay back in October of last year, with a convincing 20-6 result. There is a world where the Lions could make it all the way to the NFC championship round, where they’ll probably face the 49ers. But let’s not get too ahead of ourselves.