Well. I've found video of the best NFL game that I've ever watched:
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6eiu50It had thrills. It had chills. It ended in a heart rending, soul crushing Detroit Lions loss. A loss from which the franchise never really recovers from. The year is 1983 which was kind of a nice time to be a fan of Detroit professional sports. The Tigers had a magnificent team and would soon win the World Series. The Pistons had two young Guards - Isiah Thomas and Vinnie Johnson and added a bruising Center named Laimbeer and were building the foundation for world championships to come. The Red Wings were not good but they had a teenaged Steve Yzerman and the future looked incredibly bright.
The Lions were kind of good as well. My Father warned me not to get invested in the Lions as he knew from experience what would ultimately happen. I just wouldn't listen. The Lions won their division and would have to win two games to make it to the Super Bowl. A big task to be sure but the long awaited nirvana was in sight.
The game was against the San Francisco 49'ers at Candlestick. The Lions were coached by the immortal Monte Clark while the Niners had to get by with some Bill Walsh dude. The Niners also had Roger Craig, Wendell Tyler, Freddie Solomon, Russ Francis, Bubba Paris, Randy Cross, Fred Dean, Hacksaw Reynolds, Ronnie Lott and guys like that. To oppose them, the Lions had guys named Homer Elias and Ulysses Norris. Well to be fair they also had just about the best kicker of the 1980's Eddie Murray and the great Billy Sims at halfback. Quarterbacks? Hoo boy. The Niner's had Joe Montana in his prime while the Lions had Gary Danielson. The same Gary Danielson whom they signed after he was the backup quarterback for the WFL Chicago Winds franchise. So yeah. A little bit of a mismatch there.
The game starts with the Lions winning the toss. Surprisingly, Coach Clark goes with a lot of passing. The Lions have a nice little drive and they end of with a field goal by Murray.
1Q Det 3 S.F. 0
With the Lions up 3 to nothing, the Lions stay with the passing game after stopping the Niners and Danielson throws interception number 1. With a mixture of passing and running, San Francisco marches down the field and scores.
1Q: S.F. 7 Det 3
The Lions come back out passing and before you know it Danielson throws interception number 2. Again going with a balanced approach the Niner's drive down and score easily.
2Q: S.F. 14 Det 3
Undaunted, the Lions come out winging the ball but before you know it, Danielson is picked off again for interception number 3. Montana drives San Francisco deep into Lions territory but the defense stiffens, nails Montana with huge loss on a sack. The Forty Niner's, kicker, Ray Wersching then misses the field goal attempt which keeps things reasonable on the scoreboard.
The Lions come out throwing again and Danielson lays wide receiver Leonard Thompson out and Ronnie Lott just unloads on Thompson. They finally mix in a few runs by Billy Sims and he breaks a
56 yarder which results in a short Eddie Murray field goal.
2Q: S.F. 14 Det 6
The Lions get a stop and come out throwing once again. This immediately results in interception number 4 thrown by Gary Danielson. The FortyNiner's can't capitalize though, as Wersching misses
another field goal. Time is running out fast in the first half so the Lions have to throw the ball - even after all those the interceptions. Danielson drives them down to the Niner's 36 yard line where Eddie
Murray hits a 54 yarder - an impressive kick in Candlestick as time expires.
Half: S.F. 14 Det 9
In the third quarter the Lions come out throwing again on their first possession of the second half. Yep - you guessed. Danielson throws interception number 5. After a beautiful pass to Russ Francis
the Lions stop San Fran down near the goal line and San Francisco has to settle for a super short Wersching field goal.
3Q: S.F. 17 Det 9.
As the game moves into the fourth quarter, the Lions mix in runs from Billy Sims with passes from Danielson and Billy Sims scores a running TD.
4Q: S.F. 17 Det 16
San Francisco starts moving the ball but they lose possession on a Roger Craig fumble. The Lions drive down into 49'ers territory on a big play where they run a wide receiver reverse with Danielson
leading the way. Things stall out and they have to try a 42 yard field goal by 2 time pro bowl kicker Eddie Murray. He has made three in a row - including a much longer kick. If he can convert the Lions
will take the lead. Of course he chokes and pulls the hell out of the ball - way wide left.
The 49'ers coming out winging the ball but this leads to a Montana interception. With time moving along in the fourth quarter, Detroit starts pounding the ball up the middle with their fullback - the Right
Reverend, Jim Jones. San Francisco can't stop him and the Lions offensive line is pummeling the Niners. Detroit drives down near the goal line and Billy Sims eventually scores his second touchdown of the game. The Lions take the lead!
4Q: Det 23 S.F. 17
The Niner's get the ball back with less than 5 minutes left. The Lions have the lead but San Francisco has Joe Montana. Using a mixture of runs and passes they slowly but surely push into the Lions
side of the field. By the time the Two Minute Warning rolls around they have the ball on the Lions 28 yard line. Montana hits Freddie Solomon in the end zone with a touchdown pass with 1 minute and 23 seconds left.
4Q: S.F. 24 Det 23
The Lions have all their time outs left, they are behind, they have to throw and their quarterback has thrown five interceptions against zero touchdown passes for the day. It looks grim. However, Danielson sacks up and slowly chips away at field position. A couple of penalties go the Lions way and eventually they setup Eddie Murray - 11 seconds left in the game and he has to hit a 43 yarder to
beat the Montana and the Forty Niners in their own house. If he can hit it the Lions will be just one game away from that Super Bowl dream. Steady Eddie lines up the kick. The ball is snapped and the f'ing bastard pushes it wide right - it never has a chance.
Final Score: S.F. 24 Det 23Here is the boxscore of woe:
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198312310sfo.htmIf Murray could have made just one the kicks in the fourth quarter without choking the Detroit Lions could have made Montana's clutch drive irrelevant - even after Gary Danielson had thrown five interceptions in the game they should have won. It would have been wonderful. However these are the Lions and wonderful things are not for them. Despite having Barry Sanders, Matthew Stafford, Herman Moore and Calvin Johnson in the years to come they will never, ever, never smell a chance to go to the Super Bowl again. The Tigers would appear in three World Series and win one of them in that time frame. The Pistons would win three world championships. The Red Wings would end up making the playoffs like a million years in a row and would win end up with four Stanley Cups. My Old Man was 100% right - don't get invested in the Lions. It took a few decades but I finally learned.
