In the history of conference championship weekend, there may not be a team that has more of a national backing than the one that currently exists with the Detroit Lions. Unless you’re a San Francisco 49ers fan, it’s safe to assume that you are one of the millions of NFL fans out there who, for three hours on Sunday night, will be temporarily a Lions fan.
While their current run could be defined as storybook, Dan Campbell’s team is not Cinderella. In fact, you can argue with conviction that the Lions have been the NFL’s most consistent team this season, starting with their win over the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs back in Week 1.
Led by Jared Goff, the Lions have one of the NFL’s most talented offenses that has been especially lethal in the red zone. Defensively, the Lions are an aggressive, hard-hitting group that has taken on the attitude of their head coach. The unit had several big moments during Detroit’s recent playoff wins over the Rams and Buccaneers.
So, how did the Lions get here? Let’s take a look by reviewing Detroit’s top moves in free agency, the draft and the regular season, as well as Detroit’s main turning point and key win.
2023 notable free agent signings
The Lions have gotten a lot of production out of their 2023 free agent class. At the top of that list of Montgomery, the former Chicago Bear who is enjoying his best season to date. Montgomery’s success, especially early on, helped shoulder rookie Jahmyr Gibbs’ burden while allowing him more time to get settled into life in the NFL. The duo have since become the NFL’s top RB combo.
One of the team’s more underrated acquisitions was the signing of former Steelers defensive back Sutton, who has helped the Lions’ young defense in more ways than one.
“Cam’s been unbelievable, man,” Lions pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson told CBS Sports earlier this season. “He’s such a steady force in our locker…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/how-lions-got-to-2024-nfc-championship-game-key-moves-turning-point-most-crucial-win-full-season-results/
Author : Bryan DeArdo
Publish date : 2024-01-24 15:52:41
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