If you have watched a Detroit Lions home game, you have probably noticed that Ford Field is full of fans holding up “3” signs. Let’s delve into this tradition and why Detroit fans display these signs.
Examining Why Detroit Fans Hold Up ‘3’ Signs
At every Lions home game, certain sections of the stadium are designated as “3rd Down Town.” These fans are given “3” signs and are encouraged to be raucous and wave the signs whenever the opposing team has a 3rd down.
This is meant to make things harder for the away team and give the Lions an advantage. The “3” signs are to remind fans to get noisy on this specific play, as failing to convert can lead to a turnover on downs and significantly impact the game.
Here’s a look at the signs that are handed out to fans in the “3rd Down Town” sections, which feature instructions for when to cheer:
Also, according to the Lions’ official website, the team has some special promotions centered around 3rd-down stops to get fans even more excited.
Here’s what Detroit’s team site says: “You’ve entered 3rd Down Town! Each time the Lions make a stop on 3rd down, the Detroit Lions & Rocket Mortgage are donating $313 to Connect 313.
“As a fan seated in 3rd Down Town, Rocket Mortgage also wants to reward you! The first time the Lions make a stop on 3rd down, select fans seated in 3rd Down Town will receive $10 via Lions Loot! Unused Lions Loot $10 credits will be donated to Connect 313 at the end of the season.”
This season, $13,640 has been donated to Connect 313, whose mission is “to establish the means for all Detroiters to have access to appropriate devices, internet connections, technical support, and digital resources for improved learning, employment, and well-being.”
At the end of the day, this tradition is all about encouraging fans to be as loud as possible on key plays in order to negatively affect the other team.
This is similar to how the Seattle Seahawks refer to their fans as the 12s. The idea is to make them feel like they are part of the team and encourage them to cheer as loud as possible. Over the years, Seattle’s fans have done just that, making so much noise that it registers on the Richter scale (which tracks earthquakes).
Commanders vs. Lions Game Preview
- Location: Detroit, Michigan; Ford Field
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Channel: Fox
The winner of this game will face the winner of the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Los Angeles Rams game for the NFC Championship and the right to go to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on Feb. 9.
Daniels has already defied the odds by winning a road playoff game. Now, he becomes just the seventh rookie quarterback to face a No. 1 seed in the playoffs since seeding began in the 1975 season.
Five of the previous six quarterbacks in similar situations lost, and most of those games were not competitive. The only win came from Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens in the 2008 Divisional Round against the Tennessee Titans. However, that victory was largely driven by the defense, as the Ravens managed just nine first downs and averaged 4.1 yards per play.
Collectively, the rookie QBs in this game scenario have combined for five passing touchdowns and four interceptions, while averaging 194 passing yards per game. Their teams have posted an average point-per-game (PPG) differential of -10.8 in these matchups.
The Lions scored 41 points against the Los Angeles Chargers last season coming off their bye. They hung 47 on the Dallas Cowboys this season and are now coming off another bye week.
Quarterback Jared Goff finished the season with a 93.2 grade in our QB+ metric, the 11th-best mark in our six years of tracking (second-best this season, trailing Lamar Jackson).
Detroit’s offense gets the attention, but their defense, for the season, ranked seventh in turnover rate and red-zone efficiency.
Just how significant was Detroit’s Week 18 win over Minnesota? The victory not only secured the NFC North crown but also earned the Lions the top seed in the conference.
Patrick Mahomes is widely regarded as the best clutch-time performer in the sport — the quarterback you trust most when the game is on the line. However, when comparing Mahomes’ last 16 home games against playoff-level competition to those of Jared Goff, the “King of Clutch” title might be up for debate.
Expect Dan Campbell and Dan Quinn to take plenty of risks on fourth down in this game. Including playoffs, the Lions have gone for it on fourth down at the highest rate this season (32%), while the Commanders rank seventh in fourth-down attempts (24%). Both teams have reaped the rewards of their aggressiveness. Washington leads the league in fourth-down EPA (57.9), while Detroit ranks fifth (35.2).
In the Wild Card round, the Commanders went for it on five of their seven fourth-down opportunities. Their 71.4% go-for-it rate was the fourth-highest in a playoff game since 2000.
Per Pro Football Network’s Playoff Predictor, with 10,000 simulations, the Commanders are an underdog and given just a 35.4% chance of winning against the Lions.
