When the final seconds ticked off the jumbotron inside Ford Field in the Detroit Lions’ 30-24 win against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, no one was happier than offensive tackle Taylor Decker. With the win, the franchise secured the NFC North crown for the first time in 30 years.
Decker, who was selected by the Lions in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft, has spent his entire NFL career in Detroit that includes the team’s four losing seasons from ’18 to ’21. Prior to Sunday, Decker had never experienced the feeling of the Lions winning a divisional crown.
After the victory, the Detroit lineman was in tears when quarterback Jared Goff embraced him with a hug while soaking in the moment. Overwhelmed with emotion, Decker experienced a major milestone with the franchise that so many other Detroit players never witnessed in the last 30 years.
Players like Calvin “Megatron” Johnson, Ndamukong Suh, Matthew Stafford, Darius Slay, Golden Tate, Dre Bly, Shaun Rogers and Roy Williams, never saw a divisional crown brought to the Motor City. They spent years watching the Green Bay Packers, the Vikings and the Chicago Bears seize the crown.
WHOLESOME: #Lions T Taylor Decker has spent his entire career in Detroit, and he’s played on some of the worst teams ever.
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) December 24, 2023
Today, after clinching a Division Title, Taylor was in TEARS…. And extremely emotional
Shows how much winning means to some❤️
pic.twitter.com/STNelHhy5D
But on Sunday, it was Detroit’s moment. While the Lions’ mission for the ’23 campaign is not complete, Detroit fans and players like Decker can appreciate the signature moment.
The Lions (11-4) will seek to end the season on a strong note with games against the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 30 and rematch against the Vikings in their season finale on Jan. 7.
