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Detroit Lions' undefeated road record has them set up for playoffs success
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- Detroit Lions' undefeated road record has them set up for playoffs success
The Detroit Lions can clinch the No. 1 seed and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs with a win Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings . But if they have to go on the road in the postseason, the Lions have proven they're just as dangerous away from Ford Field.
The Lions went 8-0 in road games this season to finish with a perfect road record for the first time in franchise history.
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The Kansas City Chiefs in 2020 were the last NFL team to go undefeated on the road. The Chiefs went 14-2 that season but lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a Super Bowl that was played at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium.
"It shows the type of guys we've got," Lions coach Dan Campbell said after Monday's 40-34 win over the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. "It shows the type of players we got.
"We're a resilient group, we just are. And we're built to handle things that not everybody can do. You go 8-0 on the road it means you're a pretty damn good team and you can handle adversity. So, I'm proud of these guys, I'm proud of the coaches. It takes a village. It takes everybody. We prepare that way and we play that way."
The Lions won their eight road games by a combined score of 246-145 and beat three playoff teams in their own stadiums: The Vikings, Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans .
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If they beat the Vikings at Ford Field on Sunday, they'll get a first-round playoff bye and have to win two home games in the postseason to advance to the Super Bowl.
The Lions (14-2) are 6-2 at home this season with losses to the Bucs and Buffalo Bills .
Detroit Lions fans cheer on against San Francisco 49ers during the second half at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Monday, Dec. 30, 2024.
"I love playing on the road, just cause there's just that extra feel of being the underdog in those type of situations," Lions right tackle Penei Sewell said. "Fans are loud, the odds are against you in terms of that. But, yeah, it's always fun."
If the Lions lose Sunday, they would be the fifth seed in the NFC playoffs and likely would have to win three road playoff games to reach the Super Bowl in New Orleans .
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As a wild-card team, the Lions would open the playoffs with a road game against the Bucs, Los Angeles Rams or Atlanta Falcons . Tampa can clinch the NFC South and eliminate the Falcons from playoff contention with a win over the New Orleans Saints this week. The Bucs hold the tie-breaker over the Rams if both teams finish with the same record.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff said part of the team's road success is having a fan base that fills up visiting stadiums and makes road games seem almost like they're at Ford Field.
"The us-against-everybody mentality, how tight this group is, how close we are, that comes out in full force on the road," Goff said. "Our culture, how prideful we are and what we want to do and then also our fans have shown up to road games and have made a difference, made it feel like semi-home games and that's important."
Dave Birkett is the author of the new book, " Detroit Lions : An Illustrated Timeline." Order your copy here.
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Contact Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions' undefeated road record has them prepped for playoffs
