Allen Park — Like last Sunday’s opponent, the Miami Dolphins, the Detroit Lions typically catch the New England Patriots just once every four years.
The last meeting didn’t go particularly well for the Lions. In fact, it’s a strong contender for the worst loss of the Dan Campbell era.
Out of respect for a fan base that’s suffered enough, I’ll speed through the gory details. Former coach Matt Patricia had returned to papa Bill Belichick, serving as the Patriots’ defacto offensive coordinator in 2022. And with rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe under center, the Patriots wiped the floor with the Lions, 29-0.
There, you made it through that paragraph, and you’re hopefully stronger for it.
Now, let’s talk about the current Patriots, because they’re going to be pretty unfamiliar. The roster and coaching staff from the nearly two-decade dynasty has pretty much been wiped out after the team slowly sunk to the bottom of the standings post the Tom Brady/Belichick divorce.