Detroit Lions fans were glum as they watched the winningest season in team history come crashing to an end Saturday night in the Lions‘ first game of the 2025 NFL playoffs.

The Washington Commanders stunned the Lions, 45-31 at Ford Field.

Five turnovers and other mistakes were enough to sink the 1-seed Lions and the spirits of a crowd that had many thinking that maybe this was finally their year.

“I feel tired. I feel emotionally drained,” said Jamaal Hines, 40, as he walked out with his head down before the gamed ended. “I know we had a lot of injuries, which probably would account for us losing, but I don’t know, there’s always next year. That’s what they say, right?”ANOTHER YEAR: 58 reasons Detroit Lions have never been to the Super BowlNeed a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Hines said his hopes were fading even earlier.

“I guess after that second interception, I felt like it could really kind of slip out of our hands. I was expecting us to beat them by 40, to be honest,” he said. “But that’s just kind of how it is, I guess.“

With 10 minutes left in the game and the Lions down 10, Jermaine Bembry stood feet from the exit at Ford Field. He was just waiting for the moment he knew it was over.

It came a beat later, when Washington scored its 5th touchdown of the game to go up by 17 points in the fourth quarter. At that point, a trickle of exiting fans turned into a stream.REACTION: Detroit Lions waste of golden opportunity is just sickening. Be mad.

Some fans wore blank expressions as they walked out quietly. Some parents draped their arms around their disappointed kids. Other fans shouted explitives.

“We knew they were a good team,” said Bembry, 42, of Detroit. “At the end of the day, they the team like we was last year.”