Detroit Lions Home Games Are Often Full of No. 3 Signs — What's up With That?

NFL fans are known for their over-the-top and iconic rituals, from painting their faces to wearing certain pieces of "lucky" merchandise to every game. These customs sometimes even vary by team. For example, when watching the home games of the Detroit Lions, you may have noticed that at some points, their fans hold up dozens of signs with the No. 3 on them.

It's no coincidence, and it's no accident.

These sings are a strategic move by fans to influence the game — and as it turns out, the signs are actually sponsored. Here's what we know about the ocean of No. 3 signs at Lions games.

It may seem a bit random, but there's a clever strategy behind the No. 3 signs held up by waves of fans during Detroit Lions home games. One advantage of home teams during any football game is the fact that the stadium will be mostly full of their fans, meaning that they can band together to cheer loudly and throw the other team off their game.

That's exactly the point of the No. 3 signs, as well — the intention is to hold them up while chanting and cheering loudly when the opposing team reaches third down, hopefully causing them to slip up.

For each home game, there are a few sections selected to hold up the signs, bestowed with the large responsibility of tripping up the other team. These sections are known as "Third Down Town."

When the fans arrive at the stadium, they'll see the signs waiting for them on their seats.

This ritual is actually a sponsored campaign by RocketMortgage, who supplies all of the signs. They have also pledged to donate $313 to Connect313 — an organization committed to providing Detroit citizens with access to devices, technological support, and internet connection — each time the Lions get a third down stop at home.

According to SportingNews, they've so far donated over $13,000 in 2024 thanks to this initiative.

The Lions played their penultimate home game against the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 15, though it seems that their efforts in Third Down Town weren't enough to sway the performance of the New York-based team, who ended up taking home the victory.

Their final home game of the season will take place during Week 18 (Jan. 5) where they'll face off against the Minnesota Vikings. So far, Detroit is 6-2 at home this season, while the Vikings are 5-1 for their away games. There's no telling who will win the matchup, but one thing is guaranteed — if the Vikings find themselves in a third down, we're sure to see droves of enthusiastic fans in Third Down Town cheering and hoping for them to make a mistake.