Detroit Lions 2016 GIF of the Year: The Elite Eight

For part 1 of the first round, you can check it out in this post.

For part 2 of the first round, you can check it out in this post.

The results of the first round are in, and our readers appeared to really prefer two types of GIFs: outtake-style clips of players or coaches saying things they were not supposed to say (and happen to be useful as a forum reaction GIF) or cool moments on the field where a player did something visually awesome. Here are the recaps and second round match-ups.

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#6 Are you not entertained? vs. #3 Pom poms

Poor Papa Jim was swept in the first round despite having three entries in the tournament. I am a huge fan of head coach Jim Caldwell, and so are many of our readers, and it is entirely possible that my own pro-player GIF bias got in the way of him making it out of the first round:

Like the Lions, Jim Caldwell was bounced in single elimination by these two GIFs, which will meet in the second round:

Will 2017 Pro Bowl kicker Matt Prater prevail over 2015 Pro Bowl wide receiver Golden Tate and the rest of the Lions cheerleaders?

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#7 Stafford trucks Perrish Cox vs. #15 A’shawn lifts Zeke off ground

While our first Elite Eight match-up featured one celebration against another, this time we find a pair of physical plays squaring off. During the seeding process, it seemed like Matthew Stafford pleading for a holding call morphing into a funky bassline would ride the Africa wave deep into the tournament. It was instead a GIF-able moment that would not have made the first cut if not for Ryan Mathews: needing more ideas for great moments near the end of the season, our resident champion of underdog causes like Team “Wings over everything” and BvS recommended the big slam by A’shawn Robinson from the Dallas “Monday Night Football” game.

Like Bob Quinn’s selection of Robinson in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft, what a pick this one turned out to be! Instead, the Stafford GIF that moves on into this second round contest features “Wheels” rather than tunes.

So there you have it: a big hit delivered by a quarterback or a big hit delivered by a defensive lineman. Which show of toughness strikes your fancy?

Vote, and I shall hold your oaths fulfilled. WHAT SAY YOU?

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#4 Stafford Get Out! vs. #5 Sam Martin DAFUQ?

Now for the battle of what should be the ultimate reaction GIFs of the season.

Whether you want to tell Packers fans trolling the comments section to go back to their own site and leave us alone or express your dismay at an armchair GM suggesting we sign some retired cornerbacks who have been out of the league for many years, this matchup is for you.

So, what’s it gonna be?

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#8 Stafford helmetless sack vs. #1 Tate buttflip

Going from delivering punishment to receiving it, Matthew Stafford enters our final second round match-up in a slow-mo capture of him getting absolutely annihilated by the Eagles in the pocket. We all saw what happened to the Lions after Stafford was injured late in the season (with even just a finger jam), so thinking about what an exposed head or neck injury could have looked like is pretty scary.

Thank goodness the hit looked much worse than it really was, and Stafford was shown in the TV broadcast laughing about it with the Eagles’ defenders after the play. The Lions’ starting quarterback’s grit faces Golden Tate’s inimitable flair, brought front and center on the final play of the game on the road against Minnesota.

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These four polls are set to close after 11:59 pm Eastern time on Tuesday the 14th of February. Once everything closes, we will post the round 3 semi-finals match-ups for your enjoyment. Thanks for voting, and please share your take on these 2016 GIF-able moments in the comments section below!