The Detroit Lions were on the road during their Week 6 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But if you just listened to the crowd noise after the game at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, you might have guessed that the matchup was held in Michigan.
Lions fans came out in droves for Detroit’s 20-6 win in Tampa, Fla. ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington posted a video of raucous Lions fans in the stands “well after” the game had already ended.
Darlington’s clip quickly went viral on X and has been viewed over 3.2 million times as of writing. The scene even left Lions quarterback Jared Goff in disbelief.
I’ve seen a lot of opposing fan bases make noise for their team after a win — but the Lions might’ve topped them all today.
Or as @JaredGoff16 said to me as he left the field, “Are you seeing this? Best fans in the f***ing league!”
This video is well after the game ended… pic.twitter.com/PyL8TtmLXQ
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) October 15, 2023
Lions fans have not had much to cheer about before this year. Detroit has failed to make the playoffs over the last six seasons and has just three postseason appearances since the turn of the millennium.
The Lions’ performance during the 2000s is widely considered one of the worst decades of football for any NFL team. Detroit had a losing record in all but one season — the team’s 2000 campaign when they went a modest 9-7. Longtime fans likely still haven’t erased the memory of the franchise’s nadir when the Lions went 0-16 in 2008.
The Lions’ win on Sunday bumped them up to 5-1 in the standings. Detroit is now tied with the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, and San Francisco 49ers — four teams many consider to be Super Bowl contenders — for the best record in the NFL.
The Lions may have surprised some folks with their stellar play thus far this season. But head coach Dan Campbell knew what his team was capable of even before their Week 1 win over the Chiefs.
