Peyton Manning and a Bathtub of Booze May Have Turned Lions Around

The Detroit Lions improved to 7-2 this season after kicker Riley Patterson hit a game-winning, 41-yard field goal as time expired in a back-and-forth, 41-38 shootout victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. And the Lions may have Peyton Manning to thank.

OK, maybe not. But the Hall of Fame quarterback's production company was quick to point out on X, formerly Twitter, that Detroit is 15-4 since Manning "reversed" the "Curse of Bobby Layne."

The curse has loomed over the Lions since they traded Layne to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1958, just one season after the quarterback helped Detroit win its third championship of the 1950s. As the legend goes, Layne—a Hall of Famer—was upset by the move and supposedly said the Lions wouldn't win a championship for another 50 years. And plenty of bad luck has followed the franchise since. Detroit has won one playoff game since trading Layne, hasn't won a division title in decades, and became the first NFL franchise to ever go 0-16.

That's where Manning comes in.

On the Season 3 premiere of his ESPN Peyton's Places program, titled "The Curse of Bobby Layne," which aired in October 2022, the five-time MVP made a trip to Ford Field in an effort to ease Lions fans of some pain. And he brought actor and Detroit sports fan Jeff Daniels along with him.

"I strongly believe the recent success of the Detroit Lions is due to ownership, the general manager, the coaching staff, the players, Peyton Manning and me," Daniels said in an email to Newsweek on Monday.

Manning urged Daniels to help him try to break the curse by reciting incantations over a bathtub filled with whiskey, which the QB said was one of Layne's drinks of choice. Yes, really.

"Why the [expletive] is there a bathtub in the end zone of Ford Field," Daniels said to Manning during the episode. "Am I on drugs?"

"Trust me, Jeff," Manning said before claiming he couldn't use these powers to hex his rival New England Patriots because Bill Belichick's dark magic was too strong.

The full episode is available to watch on ESPN+. Newsweek reached out to Omaha Productions for comment.

In all seriousness, coach Dan Campbell and company deserve the credit for turning the franchise around. But there is a coincidence in the timing of the episode and the team's performance on the field since.

Detroit started last season 1-6 but finished 9-8 overall. And yes, that winning stretch came after Manning and Daniels did whatever exactly you want to call what they did.The Lions currently stand in first place in the NFC North as Week 10 of the 2023 season comes to a close. The franchise is seeking its first division title since 1993 and first playoff win since the 1991 season. Oh, and its first championship since the days of Layne.

"Detroit showing you, they're here to stay the rest of the year," CBS commentator Tony Romo said after Sunday's win. "This is a formidable team who can win the Super Bowl."

Manning will be back on TV screens, alongside his brother Eli, for the ManningCast edition of Monday night's Denver Broncos-Buffalo Bills primetime game. The broadcast is scheduled to start at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Update 11/15/23, 6:25 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to include more information on Detroit's record.