Lions Blow Chance at Improbable Playoff Push with Heartbreaking Loss to Packers

It's amazing how quickly fortunes can change in the NFL. The Detroit Lions were one play away from getting back into the playoff picture, but now it seems their season will end with nothing but disappointment.

An entire year can be summed up by this Hail Mary touchdown pass by Aaron Rodgers to earn a win for the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night:

The result was a 27-23 loss for the Lions that sent the team to 4-8 on the season. This effectively ends their hope at an NFC North title, while even a wild-card spot is extremely unlikely.

They currently sit 2.5 games behind both the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks with just four games left to play. With everyone besides the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers having a better record in the NFC, it would take a miracle to get a postseason berth.

However, this is not the situation the Lions would have found themselves in if not for that heartbreaking finish. In fact, at halftime, this team was likely filled with as much confidence as anyone in the league.

Detroit entered the game in the midst of one of the most impressive turnarounds in the NFL. The squad started the year 0-5 and eventually settled at 1-7 after an embarrassing 45-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in London in Week 8. Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi was fired, but there were major issues on both sides of the ball, and this simply appeared to be a lost season.

The Week 9 bye gave the team a chance to turn things around. After giving up 45 points to the Chiefs, the defense stepped up and allowed only 43 points over the next three games combined. Matthew Stafford looked much better offensively, while the rushing attack finally provided some production for the first time all year.

The Lions were able to carry this play over into the biggest game of the season to date in a Thursday night battle against Green Bay. The defense continued to make plays in the first half while shutting down Rodgers and the rest of the Packers offense, a rare feat for any defense:

A 17-0 first-quarter lead carried into halftime, and it seemed Detroit would pull off its first season sweep over the Packers since 1991. With the four remaining games all coming against teams with losing records, the Lions appeared genuinely capable of running the table and sneaking into the playoffs with a 9-7 record. If they continued to play at this same level, few would have counted them out.

Unfortunately, this was the beginning of the end. A 20-0 lead quickly evaporated as the defense struggled to contain Rodgers escaping the pocket. A costly Stafford fumble set up a key Packers touchdown, and the rest of the offense couldn't sustain drives in the final minutes.

Obviously, much of the focus will be on the final two plays. The second-to-last play was a questionable facemask penalty that extended the game, although NFL Vice President of Officiating Dean Blandino explained why the call was not abnormal:

Finally, a 61-yard touchdown pass brought down by Richard Rodgers sealed the Lions' fate. Of course, this also wasn't just bad luck, as noted by Bleacher Report's Matt Miller:

"It's heart-wrenching when those happen at the end of the game that way," Lions coach Jim Caldwell said after the game, per MLive.com. "This time, it was their turn. Just a heck of a play. We just didn't come up with the play we needed."

The coach alludes to not coming through at the end, though it is important to emphasize the fact the Lions had a huge hand in the defeat. They allowed the Packers to crawl back after building a 20-0 lead while struggling on both sides of the ball in the second half. In the end, the defense couldn't fill the simple task of knocking the ball down, and the punishment is a year without a playoff berth.

After blowing good chances to win games against the San Diego Chargers, Seattle Seahawks and others, this is a fate the team deserves.

This isn't to say there aren't positives to take away from this season. The strides made by the defense in recent weeks have been truly impressive, with players like Ziggy Ansah and Darius Slay becoming big-time playmakers. Stafford and Calvin Johnson have reignited their connection, while Ameer Abdullah is finally coming close to living up to his preseason hype.

If not for a few bad bounces and poor plays throughout 2015, we would be talking about this team as a legitimate contender.

However, the physical mistakes by the players and the mental mistakes of the coaching staff have been enough to drown the Lions this year. One bad play can be the difference between a winner and a loser, something proven once again Thursday night.

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