In 2022, the usually hapless Detroit Lions enjoyed a rare feel-good season. They barely missed the playoffs but knocked the hated Green Bay Packers out of playoff contention while rising from the ashes of a 1-6 start. This season, the Lions stand atop the NFC North and look primed to go beyond warm feelings.
Perhaps no fan base in all of North American sports owns such a long, painful history of endless losing. Even when they rostered one of the greatest running backs in the NFL, Barry Sanders, he retired from football early. Same with generational receiving talent Calvin Johnson. However, with Dan Campbell chomping at kneecaps, the Lions are rolling like a well-oiled machine with sights on the number one seed in the NFC. Here’s how the Lions bucked history in 2023.
Head coach Dan Campbell famously made a splash at his introductory press conference with his biting kneecaps sound bite. Usually, introductory press conferences carry about as much weight as Detroit’s trophy case. However, Campbell backed up the tough talk by instituting a culture of relentless competitiveness and all-out aggression. That determined assault was on full display during their 41-38 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10.
Campbell exemplified their inexorable barrage with five ballsy fourth-down calls. The fourth-and-two at 1:47 in the fourth quarter, within field goal range, and the game tied (!), easily ranked as the ballsiest. Rather than kick the field goal and give a fire-breathing Justin Herbert the ball, the Lions took the game by the throat and ended it there.
Campbell gave squeamish Lions fans advice to Will Burchfield of The Ticket:
Detroit went 4-for-5 on those fourth down calls, including a wildly unexpected run on fourth-and-five. It speaks to the confidence they feel in offensive guru and play-caller Ben Johnson.
Lions fans must feel like they found gold at the end of the rainbow, accompanied by a leprechaun masseur, and a platinum horse shoe. Because when it comes to tough times, no franchise knows losing quite like the Lions. Apologies to the Detroit fans, but here are the lowlights:
The Ford family helped turn Detroit into the Motor City in the first half of the 20th century, but what they’ve done to the poor football fans of Detroit in the latter half of has been borderline criminal.
In the past, after a barnburner victory like the one in Los Angeles, the Lions would have reveled in the win. Under Campbell, the focus remains on what they can do to improve:
If the Lions want to vie for the number one overall seed in the NFC, the defense will need to step up. The Chargers blistered them for five straight touchdowns to end the game and failed to adequately harass Justin Herbert. They were also walloped by the Baltimore Ravens offense a few weeks ago.
For the year, the Lions rank 25th in sack percentage and tied for 21st in sacks per game. Campbell has called on his guys up front to make plays:
Currently, the Lions are tied with the Dallas Cowboys at +550, the third-best odds to win the NFC behind the Philadelphia Eagles (+220) and San Francisco 49ers (+240), according to FanDuel. After his gutsy calls, Campbell’s easily the favorite for Coach of the Year at +145.
Obviously, Detroit needs a couple of teams to slip up, but maybe the remaining schedule can help in that regard. Philadelphia owns the ninth-easiest remaining schedule according to Tankathon, but the next five look rough:
