A flight attendant had to make the final announcement before her flight touched ground at the Detroit Metropolitan County Airport Sunday night. There was only one problem: The Detroit Lions were in a tie game with four seconds left.
The Lions trailed the Houston Texans 23-7 at halftime of “Sunday Night Football” but stormed back to tie the game in the fourth quarter. Detroit kicker Jake Bates was in position to win the game with a 52-yard field goal.
At the same time, a plane full of Lions fans neared its landing in Detroit as the passengers watched the game closely on their respective TVs. As is customary, a flight attendant began thanking the passengers on board, but the announcement occurred right as Bates began to line up his kick.
The passengers began yelling “no” and “not now” as the flight attendant congratulated the Lions on their victory, prompting one fan to yell: “Don’t spoil it.”
“My apologies. I was given misinformation,” the flight attendant immediately said, leading to shushing from some fans on board.
Reactions in real time included one fan yelling “yes,” then “no, no” as the ball neared the goalpost.
Bates’ kick sailed just inside the left upright as time expired, pushing Detroit ahead 26-23 for its eighth win of the season and generating cheers from the passengers. The flight attendant then proceeded to quickly read their final instructions for landing.
The Lions became the second team since 1933 to win a game after throwing at least five interceptions and trailing by at least 15 points, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Detroit’s 8-1 start is the franchise’s best through nine games since going 8-1 in 1954, the year it reached the NFL championship, according to ESPN Research.
The Lions will face the Jacksonville Jaguars next week, looking to extend their seven-game win streak. Flight attendants, beware.