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Eric Woodyard, ESPN
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Even during the greatest start in franchise history at 13-2, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell remains haunted by last year’s NFC Championship game in San Francisco.
For Campbell, it still stings, as the Lions blew a 17-point halftime lead. Now, as Detroit prepares for a rematch on Monday night, he likened it to his Super Bowl experience as a player with the New York Giants during the 2000 season. It’s something he’ll never forget.
“Yeah, sure. Just like my second year in the league we go to the Super Bowl and get smashed by Baltimore. I won’t ever forget that either. So those stick with you,” Campbell said. “We just didn’t do enough. You learn from every experience. Unfortunately, that’s the best way to learn is from the losses. It really is.”
With a victory — and a Minnesota Vikings loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday — Detroit has a rare opportunity to clinch the NFC North title and the NFC’s No. 1 seed. The Lions are one of five teams since seeding began in 1975 that have never been a No. 1 seed, along with the Cardinals, Texans, Buccaneers, and Jets.
Lions QB Jared Goff is aware of what’s at stake with a win but is locked in on the task of beating San Francisco.
“We know the scenario, but we certainly don’t want to overlook anything or try to hope something happens,” Goff said on Thursday. “Whatever happens, happens, so we’ll see.”
During last year’s 34-31 NFC Championship Game loss to San Francisco, Campbell faced scrutiny for his two critical failed attempts on fourth down in the second half, instead of kicking field goals. However, players like All-Pro offensive tackle Penei Sewell defended his coach amid the criticism, telling ESPN in February that he’s “got his back until the end.”
“If he tells me to jump off a cliff with him, I’m right next to him,” Sewell said of Campbell. “I’m so serious. So, whatever he says, whatever he calls, we’ve just got to execute. So, that’s on us really. That’s my guy.”
Campbell says he has no issue with compartmentalizing last year’s loss with facing this year’s 49ers squad, which is 6-9.
“You don’t want to go through that feeling again and that means you have to prepare a certain way, you have to play a certain way, everything that you talk about, per that opponent, for that week, and it’s as simple as that,” Campbell said. “This is the next opponent in front of us and just keep your cool, keep your composure, stay disciplined, do the little things that it takes to win a game, and it really is that simple.”
The Lions haven’t lost a road game all season, but have lost 14 consecutive road games, including the playoffs, against the 49ers, with the last win coming in 1975 at Candlestick Park. That is tied with for 6th-longest road losing streak by any team against a single opponent in NFL history including playoffs, per ESPN Research.
Like Campbell, Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown wants to rewrite that narrative. He also remembers that feeling walking off the field of Levi’s Stadium last year which still doesn’t sit well with him. He described it as being “like a horror movie” and one of the worst losses of his life.
A victory in San Francisco couldn’t bring closure to the pain of last year’s experience but for those who were around for the loss, like St. Brown, they haven’t forgotten.
“Going in there, we obviously all want to win,” St. Brown said. “I don’t know if it’s gonna get brought up or not, but I feel like each player that was here last year, knows the feeling that we had last year and we want to go in there and hopefully come out with a dub.”