Lions vs. Cardinals Song of the Game: ‘Love Again’ by Dua Lipa

The Detroit Lions did what they absolutely needed to get done this season two weeks ago when they beat the Minnesota Vikings for their first win under Dan Campbell. It was necessary, and it felt good to see the hard work and perseverance finally pay off for this young roster in the way of a victory.

But man, these guys went out and did it again, for the second time in three weeks, and this time it wasn’t just a playoff hopeful they knocked off, it was the top team in the NFC West—and one of the best teams in the entire league.

Lions vs. Cardinals Week 15 Song of the Game: “Love Again” by Dua Lipa

I never thought that I would find a way out
I never thought I’d hear my heartbeat so loud
I can’t believe there’s something left in my chest any more
But goddamn, you got me in love again

How it happened so fast, I have no idea, but it’s me, a Detroit Lions fan for the first time in almost four years. For the entirety of Matt Patricia’s tenure, this football team was something I felt so detached from emotionally—and that’s saying something for someone who used to live for Sunday instead of Saturday. It was tough to watch Patricia run off some of the most prolific players in franchise history one by one because they didn’t fit his outdated views of what it meant to be a football player. It was embarrassing to see Patricia, so in over his own head after his team blew another fourth-quarter lead, defend himself to reporters as the person responsible for “... one of the biggest plays in the fourth quarter in the history of the NFL” where he thinks he did a “pretty good job.”

After living through those three seasons, it’s that much harder to believe I’m here again, but I’m back. I’m back into anticipating Lions football on Sundays and it’s been Campbell and his incredible coaching staff who have brought me back. The way they have this group of players up and playing their best football of the season at 2-11-1 in late December is a testament to the way Campbell and Co. have been able to come in here and reestablish the trust between players and coaches that’s turned things around from Allen Park to Ford Field downtown.

You got me in love again
You got me in love again
You got me in love again
(Again, and again, and again, and again, and again)

Dua Lipa absolutely rips. She’s the best. Her last album, Future Nostalgia, it’s exactly what happens when pop music hits all the right notes. Each song is catchier than the last offering, it’s infectious in a way that hijacks your idle moments with a humming of the tune or a recital of the lyrics.

Having the privilege to work here for Jeremy and Erik at Pride of Detroit, and alongside the incredible staff of editors and writers we have here as well, make no mistake, this felt like a burden for the past few seasons. It felt like a job that continued to take more than it gave back in return.

And now? It brings me joy to participate in the discourse surrounding this football team. With what little free time I have left in my life, I love spending it on this football team. On Tuesday, I couldn’t have been more excited to sit down and chat with Michael Rothstein. Last Sunday during the Lions' win over the Cardinals? Thinking the Lions had things wrapped up at halftime, I messaged Jeremy to tell him how excited I was to do the PODcast later that night. It hadn’t been like that in years...

But goddamn, you got me in love again

Each week, we’ll be providing a Song of the Game to create a full-season playlist. You can listen to previous year’s soundtracks right here: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

You can find the 2021 playlist here (or below):