Inside the Article:
Every inch, yard, and game in the NFL is a gift. You have to fight and claw and dig for every win, and after last week, Dan Campbell’s message to the Detroit Lions is as foundational as sprints at practice. When asked if he would consider this year a success if the team does not make the playoffs, Campbell had the following to say:
In 2021, the Detroit Lions won 3 games. While many fans would like to say the team played better than their record suggests, at the end of the day, the only stat that matters is the final score. In 2022, the Detroit Lions have more than doubled their win total and have strung together a series of wins that have had national media saying the Detroit Lions are one of the most potent offenses in the NFL and that teams were SCARED to play them come Sunday.
In an article for NFL.com, columnist Adam Schein outlined nine predictions that he believes will not change. One of these predictions is that the Detroit Lions will be strong contenders in the latter part of the season.
Apparently, in Carolina, they didn’t get that cable channel, missed that memo, and played like a team with everything to lose.
The Detroit Lions let the game get ahead of them
While the 6-game-winning streak ended, the Lions are sitting at 7-8 and fighting for a wildcard spot. This, by any measure, is beyond what many analysts consider a success after last year, as many analysts (including this one) had the Lions winning maybe 5-6 games this year.
The Detroit Lions let the talk go to their head and stopped looking at the next yard, next inch. Instead, they were planning a Wild Card game that has yet to be determined. They got punched in the mouth while they were looking the other way, and hopefully, it will serve as a reminder. This is Detroit. No one gives us anything.
Dan Campbell’s Message
Dan Campbell is looking to bring his team back to the fundamentals and realizes that the messaging needs to be clear.