DETROIT – As the Detroit Lions celebrate another win, Ford Field will take center stage Sunday when the team hosts the Minnesota Vikings.

Monday night’s game at Levi’s Stadium against the San Francisco 49ers highlighted a showdown made in revenge paradise. The Lions defeated the Niners 40-34.

Lions’ fans chant of quarterback Jared Goff’s name rivaled the atmosphere of a home game.

An emotional coach Dan Campbell gave his players praise while admitting he couldn’t even put it into words what he saw on the field.

Campbell rattled off new records including the team’s first 14-win season with the Lions remaining undefeated on the road during the regular season.

“Which tells you at its worst – we can go anywhere and win gentleman,” he said. “That’s the bottom line.”

Wherever the team has gone, through the wins and loses so have the fans. The Lions are not just a team. The team has become embedded in the lives of its fans like Elese Stubbs and her fiancé Keith Butler.

“When the Lions are playing, we watch that together on Sundays,” she said.

Monday game felt epic and bittersweet.

Butler, 69, died of Stage 4 colon cancer Nov. 19, five days after his birthday.

The last win he watched was when the Lions annihilated the Jaguars.

“Oh, he was telling everybody, ‘They’re going to the Super Bowl.’ That’s all we would tell everybody. Anybody said, ‘Oh, they’re the same Lions” – No, they’re not,” Stubbs said.

They’re not. Now, Sundays feel different.

But the Lions remind her of a love she still holds close to her heart.

“It still feels like he’s there hollering at his TV like I’m hollering at mine,” she said.

Associated Press

Orlando Magic (20-14, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Detroit Pistons (14-18, 10th in the Eastern Conference)

Detroit; Wednesday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Detroit hosts Orlando in a matchup of Eastern Conference teams.

The Pistons are 10-14 in conference matchups. Detroit ranks fourth in the Eastern Conference with 11.1 offensive rebounds per game led by Jalen Duren averaging 3.0.

The Magic are 16-9 against conference opponents. Orlando is 7-12 against opponents with a winning record.

The Pistons average 13.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.1 more made shots on average than the 11.4 per game the Magic give up. The Pistons average 105.9 points per game, 9.3 fewer points than the 115.2 the Pistons give up to opponents.

TOP PERFORMERS: Cade Cunningham is shooting 44.7% and averaging 24.0 points for the Pistons.

Goga Bitadze is shooting 65.6% and averaging 9.9 points for the Magic.

LAST 10 GAMES: Pistons: 5-5, averaging 117.5 points, 40.9 rebounds, 27.1 assists, 9.3 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 47.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 122.8 points per game.

Magic: 4-6, averaging 101.2 points, 40.7 rebounds, 22.0 assists, 8.6 steals and 6.2 blocks per game while shooting 44.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 104.7 points.

INJURIES: Pistons: None listed.

Magic: Paolo Banchero: out (oblique), Anthony Black: day to day (back), Franz Wagner: out (oblique), Moritz Wagner: out for season (knee), Jalen Suggs: day to day (wrist).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.