NFL playoffs: Four things to watch for in Buccaneers-Lions in NFC Divisional Round

At this time three years ago, the Buccaneers were in the midst of their march to a triumph in Super Bowl LV, while the Lions were making final decisions in yet another coaching search. They tabbed Dan Campbell, a former Lions player who became a temporary punchline with his unorthodox introductory press conference performance, in which he referenced kneecap biting to indicate the type of tough team he intended to build.

Three years later, Campbell's vision has become reality. The Buccaneers, meanwhile, have seen football nirvana, and also learned just how fleeting it can be. Tom Brady's retirement flung the team into uncertainty, and when Baker Mayfield arrived to replace him, few thought much of the Buccaneers' chances in 2023.

That doubt was exactly what Mayfield, a quarterback cast aside by two teams in 2022, needed for motivation. He's done nothing but deliver since then, posting a career year with his new team and leading them to a division title that most didn't see the Buccaneers securing back in August. They certainly didn't envision Mayfield and the Buccaneers taking the defending NFC champion Eagles behind the woodshed on Super Wild Card Weekend, either, setting up for a matchup full of pleasant surprises.

After finishing 2022 on a hot streak that nearly saw them reach the playoffs, the Lions expected to be here. They likely didn't expect, however, to meet Tampa Bay, a franchise with championship-winning experience still on the roster, setting up an incredibly intriguing showdown between revived contender and the block's new bully.

Who prevails? Well, that's why we play the games on the field, and not on paper. We'll find out Sunday, when this matchup kicks off at 3 p.m. ET at Ford Field.

Here are four things to