by Disney loves miraculous and uplifting sports movies, and they may have stumbled upon a real life one that perhaps not one of us have ever dreamed of. In 2008, the Detroit Lions went 0-16 and were left for dead. In 2017, the Cleveland Browns went 0-16 and were left for dead. Well, fans, we may only be a few short weeks away from a Super Bowl matchup between two of the oldest teams in the NFL, that have played in a combined 0 Super Bowls.
Detroit quarterback Jared Goff was castoff by the team that drafted him, The Los Angeles Rams when he was traded to Detroit before the 2021 season. He had to watch as his former team the Rams, defeat the Cincinnati Bengals that year to win the Super Bowl. Since then, Goff has played like a man on fire, including this season as he has led the Lions to a 11-5 record thus far, and the NFC North Title. Goff has tossed 28 touchdowns next to only 12 interceptions while throwing for 4255 yards. He is a man on a mission and may have to go through the Rams this postseason, on his way to a title. What a story that would be!
Goff wants to prove that is just wasn’t the Sean McVeigh coaching system that led him to the Super Bowl in 2019 against the Patriots, but rather his talent. He wants a chance at redemption and appears to be on the road to it. The Eagles and 49ers both look a bit shaky, if there was ever a year the Lions could sneak up on the NFC and take the title, it is this year!
Cleveland is on the other end of the coin, and the story of redemption only hits the tip of the iceberg for what this franchise has been through since it’s return to the league in 1999. Not to mention, what this fan base has been through since Art Model fired Paul Brown nearly a half century ago.
For Cleveland, the bottom line is this, their trade for Deshaun Watson is currently looking like the worst in NFL History. Their best player, Nick Chubb, got hurt two games into the season and won’t be back this year. They had every reason to fold as their quarterback play until Joe Flacco arrived, was shaky at best. However, despite all of that, they too are red hot, with Flacco finding the fountain of youth and playing some of the best football of his life.
The Browns too, are 11-5 and with a win over the Baltimore Ravens, a shaky looking KC Chiefs, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills franchises all showing major weakness, this could be the year the Browns sneak up and take the AFC Crown. Crazier things have happened, but I’m not sure how “crazy” that would even be.
Joe Flacco, is 4-1 as a starter and has the Browns on a 4-game winning streak. Flacco has thrown for over 300 yards and multiple touchdowns in every start, in fact, he has thrown for 1616 yards and 13 touchdowns in that 5-game stretch. No quarterback in Cleveland Browns history can touch that.
Flacco, like Goff, is on a mission. After being castoff by Baltimore in 2018 for Lamar Jackson, and then short stints with the Denver Broncos and New York Jets, Flacco was sitting at home when the Browns called. The same Flacco who won a Super Bowl over San Francisco in 2013 while earning the MVP of the game. He knows what it takes to win and has more than enough left in the tank for one more shot at it. That path could possibly go through Baltimore, and what a story that would be!
Since 1999, the Cleveland Browns have had 12 head coaches, and we won’t even talk about the quarterbacks and blown draft picks that have breezed through town. As for the Lions, since their 0-16 season of 08, they have had 6 head coaches, including the man who is the current DC for Cleveland, Jim Schwartz. Folks, I’ll say it again, this story writes itself.
As for the doubters, I’ll just say this. Did anyone ever think we’d see a Cleveland Indians versus Chicago Cubs World Series?
Let’s just hope for Cleveland’s sake, there isn’t a rain delay, and this one works out just a smidge better.
“Did anyone ever think we’d see a Cleveland Indians versus Chicago Cubs Superbowl?” Nope. No one ever did. Because they play BASEBALL.