One of these years, the Detroit Lions are going to win at Lambeau Field.
Really, it's going to happen.
Just not this year.
The Lions had dreams of winning their first division title in 21 years crushed Sunday by the Green Bay Packers, 30-20, in a winner-take-all game for the NFC North championship.
The consolation prize for the Lions (11-5) is a wildcard bid, the No. 6 seed and a trip next weekend to face the NFC East champion, No. 3 seed Dallas Cowboys (12-4) in an opening-round matchup.
If they had beaten the Packers, the Lions would have gotten a first-round bye as the No. 2 seed before playing their first home playoff game since 1993.
Instead, the road losing streak against Green Bay was extended to a whopping 24 games.
It's the streak that simply refuses to go away. The Lions are tired of talking about it, but they're going to have to go through it all again sometime next year.
All they can do now is try to bounce back quickly for the playoffs.
"It's a new season, win or lose," Lions coach Jim Caldwell said during his post-game radio show. "If we would have won the game, I would say the exact same thing.
"Nothing that happened before right now matters, other than the fact it gives us an opportunity to get in.
"The playoffs is a brand new season. The stakes are a little bit different. It's win or go home.
"So we've got to get focused in on (the Cowboys) quickly."
Sunday's game featured yet another controversy for a Lions' player stepping on an opponent.
This time, it was defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who stepped on Rodgers twice, one foot at a time, at the end of a play late in the game.
The NFL will undoubtedly review the play Monday, but the intent didn't appear to be as clear-cut as the incident last week that led to center Dominic Raiola's one-game suspension.
Suh had his back toward Rodgers at the time, but it was still very suspicious, especially considering Suh's track record and reputation as a dirty player in past years. He was suspended for two games three years ago when he stomped on a Green Bay offensive lineman.
Rodgers pushed the 305-pound Suh to try to get him off his leg. Packers offensive lineman T.J. Lang later exchanged heated words with Suh.
The Lions have had their share of good fortune in close games this year. For a while Sunday, it appeared they might benefit from some more.
Rodgers reinjured his left calf while throwing a short touchdown pass late in the first half. He left with the Packers leading 14-0, but the Lions had tied it up before he returned by scoring on their final possession of the first half and first possession of the second half.
The Lions got a break in the final minute before halftime when a roughing-the-passer penalty negated an incomplete pass on third-and-13.
That gave quarterback Matthew Stafford, who threw eight straight incompletions at one point, another opportunity and he connected with Calvin Johnson on a 20-yard score with 24 seconds left.
It appeared that play -- along with Rodgers' injury -- might turn the game.
Matt Flynn replaced Rodgers to start the third quarter and the Packers went three-and-out. The Lions capitalized again with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Johnson to make it 14-14.
The Lions had already rallied to win three times this season after trailing 14-0, but Rodgers made sure it wouldn't happen again.
He promptly led the Packers on a scoring drive to regain the lead. Even though he was hobbling around at times, Rodgers proved why he's arguably the best quarterback in the league -- and one of the best of all-time -- with the way he got his team to respond in that moment.
The Lions weren't out of it yet, but a costly turnover helped seal the deal.
One play after blocking a 52-yard field-goal attempt to keep it at a one-score game, the Lions returned the favor when a handoff to Joique Bell was fumbled and recovered by Green Bay deep in Detroit territory.
FOX analyst Troy Aikman called the misplay "carelessness on Bell's part."
The Packers took advantage of it, scoring on Rodgers' 1-yard sneak, for a 28-14 lead with 8:45 remaining.
At that point, it was pretty clear that the Lambeau streak was alive and well.
The NFL announced the Lions will play at Dallas next Sunday at 4:40 p.m. on FOX.
If the Lions win, they will play at No. 1 seed Seattle the following Saturday, January 10, at 8:15 p.m., also on FOX.
EXTRA POINTS
--- Lions offensive guard Larry Warford suffered another knee injury late in the first half and didn't return. He was replaced by Garrett Reynolds.
--- The Lions made an impressive goal-line stand on Green Bay's first possession, but the field position remained a factor and the Packers still ended up scoring the first touchdown on a 55-yard punt return.
