On Sunday, the Detroit Lions had possibly their greatest moment in recent history.

After years and years of Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers ending any hopes and dreams that the Lions have ever had, this game was considered payback. In the frozen wasteland that is Lambeau Field, the Detroit Lions ended the season and any playoff hopes of the Green Bay Packers with a 20-16 win, in a game in which they had nothing to lose.

With the Los Angeles Rams failing to beat the Seattle Seahawks earlier that day, the playoff ambitions of the Lions were stopped just short. But with the Packers in playoff contention, they were not just going to give up even if their season was over after the game. The Packers, of course, came into the game cocky. They thought they were playing the “Same Ole’ Lions”, the team that the Packers are used to playing at Lambeau when they also have playoff ambitions.

But it all came back to bite them. The Packers committed several costly penalties that caused their downfall. Meanwhile, the Lions transformed a rough first half into a stellar finish. Jamaal Williams, the former Packer, broke Barry Sanders’ rushing touchdown record, Amon-Ra St. Brown made numerous great catches, and Jared Goff turned the clock back to 2018.

Finally, the Lions have a reason to be optimistic. They’re heading into the next season with a newfound sense of confidence that they are the team that the league fears. No longer are they the NFC’s bottom feeders. With Dan Campbell’s philosophy of winning gritty games, it creates something special when they go out onto the field and they win.

With the Packers receiving the nail in the coffin, this means that Aaron Rodgers’ future with the team is once again at stake. Who knows what he decides to do this season. After he declined to give Jameson Williams his game jersey, many are speculating that he is considering retiring. Meanwhile, the Lions’ victory paved the way for the Seattle Seahawks to squeak their way into the playoffs, to which they lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card Round. If the Lions had made it into the playoffs, they likely would not have beaten the 49ers who likely have the league’s greatest defense.

It is sad that the Lions once again fell just short of the ultimate goal, but this time it feels different. You don’t feel sad, or angry, or anything negative. Rather, you feel excited for the future, pumped about this week eighteen’s win, and most of all, hopeful that all of those years of pain and sadness are finally over.