Vote on the greatest play from the Detroit Lions’ 2023 season.
The 2023 Detroit Lions season did not have a shortage of memorable moments. When a team erases droughts of three decades or longer, it tends to stick in your head for a while.
But was there one moment—one play—that sticks out above the rest? We’ll decide that today as we examine our latest Pride of Detroit Award: Detroit Lions Play of the Game.
As always, our nominations are below, but your vote will decide the winner. So don’t forget to scroll down to the poll at the bottom of the article.
Previous awards (voting still open):
- Breakout Player of the Year
- Special Teams Player of the Year
- Coach of the Year
- Rookie of the Year
- Game of the Year
- Offensive Player of the Year
- Defensive Player of the Year
2023 Detroit Lions Play of the Year
Meko Scott: Brian Branch pick-6 vs. Chiefs
Again there are a lot of great plays that occurred this year, but I will forever love the Brian Branch pick 6 on Patrick Mahomes. All offseason we heard about this rookie making waves in the offseason and we finally got to see it for our own eyes on a national stage. I know it was the first game of the season, but that play was the clearest sign that the Lions had another young star in the making.
Morgan Cannon: Derrick Barnes game-winning INT vs. Buccaneers
I have to go with the biggest moment of the season – the interception by linebacker Derrick Barnes to seal the Lions’ spot in the NFC Championship game.
That was such a massive play on literally the most crucial series of the 2023 for the Lions, and he played it perfectly. Beyond the immediate benefit of the Lions being in the Conference Championship, it was cool to see Barnes make that play, having come so far since being drafted in Brad Holmes’ inaugural draft class back in 2021.
Hamza Baccouche: Ifeatu Melifonwu division-clinching INT vs. Vikings
Ifeatu Melifonwu’s interception to seal the Vikings game and win the North was unforgettable. A lot of the Lions’ other big games didn’t have a singular, defining play, but this play was felt throughout the city of Detroit. What a moment.
Erik Schlitt: Derrick Barnes game-winning INT vs. Buccaneers
In the most meaningful game in Ford Field history, the Lions blitzed the left side of the Buccaneers offensive line, asking Derrick Barnes to drop from the line-of-scrimmage and cover the tight end running down the right side seam. Hurrying back, Barnes reads the quick pass from Baker Mayfield, undercuts the route, and secured the game-sealing interception. Just terrific.
Brandon Knapp: Brian Branch pick-6 vs. Chiefs
That play showed the whole nation that these aren’t the same old Lions. We are able to play against any quarterback, and doing that in his first career game, against the best quarterback of this generation, is a great way to make your mark. It boosted the team when they were down and needed a big moment to give them a boost of energy. With how Branch played this year too, it was just a sample of the things to come.
John Whiticar: Derrick Barnes game-winning INT vs. Buccaneers
The play itself was fantastic, a brilliant leaping interception by Derrick Barnes, but what truly set it aside was the moment. With the Buccaneers looking to rally in the dying minutes of the Divisional Round, things were tense for the Lions fandom. Yet before things could spiral, Barnes made a play to potentially save the season and everyone went nuts. What a way to get your first career interception.
Jeremy Reisman: Derrick Barnes game-winning INT vs. Buccaneers
If we’re talking the most impressive plays of the season, Kerby Joseph’s pick against the Chargers or the reverse flea flicker pass to Sam LaPorta would top my list. But Play of the Year, in my opinion, is where talent meets a big stage. Derrick Barnes’ interception of Baker Mayfield was teach tape in terms of coverage and footwork from a linebacker. The fact that the play advanced Detroit to just their second-ever NFC Championship game elevates this play to a moment we’ll likely never forget.
Ryan Mathews:
Surprisingly, a lot of the plays nominated by the rest of the staff were on the defensive side of the ball, but the obvious choice is the “failed” two-point conversion against the Dallas Cowboys. If there’s a more #DetroitVsEverybody moment, point it out, because the NFL was literally posting videos explaining how they got it wrong in an attempt to prove their officials got it right. It was truly the play that kept on giving, as Lions fans had a lot of fun with offensive tackles reporting as eligible for the subsequent three games at Ford Field. It also brought us the “controlled fury” of Dan Campbell, and it very well could have been the spark this Lions team needed heading into the playoffs.
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