The Detroit Lions just clinched their first division title in 30 years, but their work is far from done, and defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson understands that with the Dallas Cowboys on tap this weekend.
This will be just the latest test for a Lions team that is still not taken entirely seriously as a legitimate contender by many, but Hutchinson is ready to try and hand the Cowboys their first home loss of the season.
“Obviously, everyone knows the stat with Dallas at home. But, that gets, at least me, that gets me fired up, because you want to be the one to take them down,” Hutchinson told reporters, via the Lions’ official team website. “You want to be the one to end their home streak and stuff like that.”
If Detroit can beat Dallas on Sunday, perhaps more people will begin to recognize Hutchinson and Co. as an actual threat in the NFC.
“They’ve got a lot of great players, Dak’s [Prescott] been playing great ball. We’ll be ready,” added Hutchinson.
Hutchinson said that while winning the NFC North was great, he knows the job isn’t finished.
“It was a cool thing [winning the NFC North], but I have my sights set on a lot bigger things,” Hutchinson said. “So, it was cool, we were all dancing around. But, after about 10 minutes, I was like, ‘Alright, time to like get ready for the playoffs and get ready for this.’ You want to go to the Super Bowl, it’s like, so many bigger things.”
The 23-year-old has been a big part of the Lions’ success this season, as he has logged 42 tackles, 6.5 sacks, an interception, a couple of forced fumbles, a pair of fumble recoveries and seven passes defended.
Aidan Hutchinson, who played his collegiate football at the University of Michigan, was selected by Detroit with the second overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.
He enjoyed a terrific rookie campaign last year, racking up 52 tackles, 9.5 sacks, three picks and two fumble recoveries.
The Lions are 11-4 and still have a chance of securing home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. After facing the Cowboys, they will wrap up the regular season when they battle the Minnesota Vikings on Jan. 7.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
