MichiganCardinal

Elsewhere in the NFC Sunday: #7 Green Bay Packers @ #2 Philadelphia Eagles (4:30pm on FOX), #6 Washington Commanders @ #3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8:00pm on NBC) Monday: #5 Minnesota Vikings @ #4 Los Angeles Rams (8:00pm on ESPN) And Over in the AFC Saturday: #5 Los Angeles Chargers @ #4 Houston Texans (4:30pm on CBS), #6 Pittsburgh Steelers @ #3 Baltimore Ravens (8:00pm on Prime) Sunday: #7 Denver Broncos @ #2 Buffalo Bills (1:00pm on CBS) BYE: #1 Kansas City Chiefs

For all the good a bye week brings, how much do you want to bet Dan Campbell has them practicing in pads on Wednesday? I bet he goes as physical - if not more physical - than a normal game week.

This was the first playoff atmosphere that it felt like really made a difference. Stafford and Mayfield both persevered through the noise at Ford Field. Darnold did not. He was rattled by the atmosphere. Which is awesome.

Washington reminds me a lot of Tampa from last year. Not the most talent in the world, but a good squad capable of winning a playoff game. Capable of winning more than one playoff game, if you let them. Detroit would probably enter that game a touchdown favorite, similar to Tampa last year. They’re probably my preferred opponent out of LA, Minnesota, Green Bay, and them.

It’s like they all said “finally, a game that matters!”

Fun fact, the Vikings $2 million was good for roughly $222,222 per point.

They showed Hutch on the sideline before that sack and the volume was PIERCING. It’s an insane atmosphere in this building.

They’re letting them play…. When one team is on offense.

Section 113 has passed high five stage and is onto the hugging stage. Let’s ****ing finish this ****.

You can see the Lions are the better team. But any given Sunday. Get 7 here and start chilling champagne.

The defense can only do so much. The one way the Lions lose this game is by gifting the Vikings possessions, and it’s what they’re doing. So freaking frustrating.

Ten has got to be among the least we’ve scored in a half this year. And it’s been more self inflicted than Vikings inflicted.

Lions have been the better team by a step today. Offense and defense. Bad bounce or two away from this being a 14+ point game. Maintain the status quo and you might win by 10+.

Hindsight is 20/20. I thought they should have just gotten the yard too but Jamo was wide open. Win some you lose some.

Frustrating game so far. Lions have been far better but a four point lead to show for it and being threatened.

Sometimes I prefer when the opponent wins the toss so we can’t argue about what we should have done.

Atmosphere in Ford Field rivals that of LA last year, and might surpass Tampa last year. We got this.

I think tonight’s game may shatter previous television records. Both of these teams are very likable for outside fanbases that aren’t composed of cheese.

The Bears going for two to make it a nine-point game, failing, getting bailed out by an inconsequential defensive holding penalty, going half the distance, and then kicking the extra point, is the most Bears thing to happen since like last Sunday.

I mean within the division. 6-0 after today, 7-0 in the divisional round, 8-0 in the NFCCG.

And they might still be asked to go 7-0 or even 8-0 in the playoffs. I can’t imagine that’s ever been done.

Minnesota is a well coached team that will play the game well, limit their own mistakes, and strike like a cobra if you make any of your own. Detroit is the more talented team. If the Lions play a turnover free game I really like their chances. I think the defense will get burned a few times, but they will do enough a few times too, holding them to field goals and even a punt or two.

With career earnings over $2MM and having been tackled by next to no massive NFL defenders for it, I’d say he’s making out alright.

Ravens still have Derrick Henry in the game with 7 minutes left up 11 points, so I don’t think they ever had any intention of sitting starters.

I heard rumblings on Facebook of a large number of lower bowl tickets on the Vikings sideline being purchased earlier this week. Honestly I find it kind of funny. The drive from Minneapolis to Detroit is not a quick jaunt. The number of Vikings season ticket holders who were saying “man I could totally afford airfare (or 12 hours driving one-way), and a hotel, and taking Monday off work, if only tickets to the game were marginally less expensive!” is so incredibly insignificant in the context of a 65,000 person stadium. Unless they devised a mechanism to prevent it, at least half of those fans who purchased the tickets purchased the most tickets they could for $200 a piece, then turned around and are selling them for $800 a piece. Maybe a few sound friends and family in Michigan to either lodge with or to give the tickets to, but not a majority. The move is going to cost well over a million, and I would estimate it adds maybe a couple hundred Vikings fans to the equation who would have otherwise not been able to attend. The only real winner here is Ticketmaster.