The buzz is everywhere, and everyone is talking about it.
The Detroit Lions are one of the best, arguably the best, in the NFL for the first time since the NFL-AFL merger. The phrase, “This is the first time since…” has been attached to numerous stats, records, and player awards over the last two years. How did the Lions go from being the feline kittens drinking milk from a bowl in a pet store to being the Lions king of the jungle?
The most dramatic change in team success has been visible since 2020. This sparked from major staffing changes:
- Sheila Ford Hamp – owner
- Brad Holmes – general manager
- Dan Campbell – head coach
- Ben Johnson – offensive coordinator
- Aaron Glenn – defensive coordinator
Hamp is the daughter of the former owners Martha Firestone Ford and William Clay Ford who have owned the team for 61 years. After years of being historically unsuccessful, this leadership team turned the Lions into the pride of Detroit.
How did this team create a new culture for football in Detroit? Is it more than just a few key players?
Historically, this was the case during the Barry Sanders and Megatron/Stafford eras. The team took rebuilding seriously. 28 current players have three years or less of NFL experience. Since 2020, Taylor Decker and Frank Ragnow have been the only returning veterans. Lions staff have been on a mission looking for young talent to fit into their revolutionary risky in-game strategies.
Dan Campbell and Ben Johnson’s offense is well known across the NFL for being aggressive on 4th down and running trick plays. However, that is not what wins the game. In a pre-game interview with NFL on FOX, Amon-Ra St. Brown discussed how the offense has all the necessary weapons to work. The Lions are being dragged down the field by arguably the best running back room in the league while using the offensive keys to make their game work for them.
Jared Goff noticed a switch that flipped the team culture. This occurred for fans and players during the three-game win streak entering Thanksgiving in ’22. Goff is quoted in the Official Lions Yearbook, “they believe in us and we believe in ourselves.” Since then, the team has gone 27-8.
Goff joined the Lions in 2021 after being traded with three draft picks for Matthew Stafford. These picks allowed the Lions to acquire Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, Josh Paschal, Brodric Martin and Ifeatu Melifonwu. These rookies became important contributors to the Lions’ success. Unfortunately, Goff’s time with the Lions started poorly. The team went 4-14 through his first season and a half.
Midway through the ’22 season, the pieces started to connect. The offense scored well all season led by Jamaal Williams and D’Andre Swift. The problem was not there; it was in the defense. Rookies Aidan Hutchinson and James Houston stepped up and led the team with 17.5 sacks. Kerby Joseph and Alex Anzalone found their place on the defense recording seven interceptions. Hutchinson earned the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. The Lions earned a winning record after their 1-6 start that year.
In 2023, the Lions added coal to the fire to heat up to their first playoff victory in 31 years. What was the coal that sealed the deal on the new and improved Lions? They trusted their rookie class:
- Sam LaPorta (Pro-Bowler)
- Jahmyr Gibbs (Pro-Bowler)
- Brian Branch
- Jack Campbell
Branch made his impact on the team known with a pick-six early in the season opener. LaPorta proved to be one of the best tight ends in the league. Gibbs joined the newly signed free agent David Montgomery in the backfield to create the idolized running duo “Sonic and Knuckles.”
The post-Covid-pandemic run of the Detroit Lions has been an infection itself. All eyes are on the Lions as the best team the city has seen in decades continues to take the field seeking to prove itself not just to the city that loves them, but to the NFL, and its history books.
The Lions have broken numerous records, trends and droughts and are seeking to win Super Bowl 59 with their best chance yet.
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