LANDOVER – When Connor Foley and his buddies decided to take a road trip from Michigan to see the Detroit Lions–Washington Commanders Week 10 matchup, their hopes of catching a “revenge game” were one factor — but ticket prices were another.
According to a report published in August, the Lions have one of the priciest tickets in the NFL, with the average cost of a game at Ford Field reaching $444. Heading into this season, the Lions raised season-ticket prices by about 20% to 30%, after an average increase of 36% the year prior.
Because of this, Foley – a Madison Heights resident – and his three friends made the eight-hour drive from Michigan to see the Lions on the road. Pleased with the tickets they purchased, MLive asked if the trip was cheaper than attending a home game. The Michigan native didn’t hesitate.
“Oh yeah. That’s why we’ve been doing this,” Foley said as his friend chimed in, “This whole trip cost less than going to Ford Field.”
Happy to see their beloved Lions in person, Foley expressed disappointment that Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels would not be in action as he continues to recover from an elbow injury.
Daniels was a key factor in the Commanders’ stunning 45-31 divisional-round win over Detroit last season, throwing for 299 yards and two touchdowns while rushing 16 times for 51 yards. Starting in his place on Sunday will be Marcus Mariota.
“I wanted him at full go. I wanted Daniels healthy,” Foley said. “I think we better beat them (today) significantly.”
Sharing in Foley’s disappointment was Michigan native Enea Xhakollari, who lives 20 minutes outside Detroit. Xhakollari, who traveled with a group of 12, was among the Lions fans decked out in Honolulu blue, silver, and white in the rideshare parking lot, setting up a tent for tailgating. He admitted it stung not to see a rematch with Daniels.
“We got these tickets a while ago. We were actually upset that (Daniels) wasn’t playing,” Xhakollari said.
Xhakollari’s brother, Angelo, took a different approach, saying the matchup is a good opportunity for the Lions to get back on track.
“Man, I think we’re going to show everyone who we really are, honestly,” he said. “That we can come back from a bad beat, essentially, and come in here and whip their (expletive).”
Having no concerns about the defense, Angelo said the key for the Lions to win was protecting the football and executing on offense.
“Got to get Gibbs going – and Jamo (Jameson Williams),” he said.
While Foley and the Xhakollaris showed their diehard fandom by traveling from Michigan to Maryland, Connor Dunn, a Detroit native, had a much shorter commute.
Born in Detroit, Dunn, 23, has lived in Richmond, Virginia, since he was eight. He was the lone Lions fan out of his group of four, who were tailgating in the Northwest Stadium parking lot hours before kickoff.
Predicting a 34-14 Lions victory, Dunn said he’s still concerned about the offensive line and keeping quarterback Jared Goff upright.
“I’m feeling pretty good,” Dunn said. “Maybe not as good as I wanted. Offense has been a little shaky, but I think they can get it together. Offensive line — I think that is our biggest issue.”
Despite ranking second in the NFL in scoring (29.9 points per game), the Lions have had struggles moving the ball after their opening drives and are among the league’s worst on third-down conversions.
Given they haven’t lost back-to-back games since Week 8 of the 2022 season, fans like Foley, Xhakollari, and Dunn are expecting a bounce-back performance. Otherwise, Detroit could head into a tough Week 11 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles riding its first three-game losing streak since that same 2022 stretch.
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