The Lions New Normal

The very first column I wrote for this site was about a trip to Lambeau Field. I went for the season ending contest between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. The premise of the article was to review the history and pageantry of one of the iconic venues in all of American sports.

I thought it might also be Aaron Rodgers last game Lambeau. I was correct in that assessment. I was also correct in the assumption that the atmosphere and facility should be on the bucket list for any sports fan. However I didn’t think I was going to watch a Lions victory. While there was a small chance the Lions could make the playoffs. That evaporated when Baker Mayfield couldn’t lead the Rams to a victory over Seahawks.

That all happened before kickoff. The Packers were playing to get into the playoffs. The Lions were playing for nothing but pride. These were not the type of games the Lions win. We all know how that story ended.

Having watched it in person. I’m still not sure how they won it. The officiating felt stacked against them. There wasn’t a singular transcendent individual performance. It was total team victory predicated on toughness and grit. I will always remember the stunned silence of Packers fans as I left the stadium with my “Let’s go Lions” chanting son.

I imagine it was a similar feeling Thursday night in the similarly iconic Arrowhead Stadium. Let’s get the perfunctory negativity out the way. I don’t know if I would say the Lions played particularly well. The offensive numbers were pedestrian. No 300 yard passer. No 100 yard rusher or receiver. They were not exactly going up against the “steel curtain”. The Chiefs are an always suspect defense missing its best player in Chris Jones. After sputtering for much of the game there is definitely room for improvement on the offensive side of the ball.

The defense did play well. I don’t care about Travis Kelce being out. Holding Patrick Mahomes to 20 points is an accomplishment in and of itself. While Aidan Hutchinson and company applied consistent pressure. They did not record a single sack. The Lions leading tackler was Alex Anzalone with a whopping five total tackles. So who are giving the game ball too? We could give it to the Chiefs receivers but they would just….. I’ll just let the punchline lie.

All of the above combines to beg the same question I had leaving Lambeau last January. “How on Earth did the Lions just win that game?” Patrick Mahomes was given the ball on downs near midfield trailing by a measly point. He only needed about twenty yards to get into field goal position. The Chiefs actually moved backwards. How is that even possible?

The only answer I can up with might not be welcomed by Lions fans. As much as the parity loving NFL would like to admit. The league’s 21st century has been marked by its dynasties. The flash and dash of Peyton Manning’s Colts. The brashness and defensive swagger of the Legion of Boom Seahawks.

Only someone living in a cave would miss the dynasty I’m intentionally leaving out. Understandably due the PTSD of the Matt Patrica era. Lions fans are a little suspicious of anything resembling the “The Patriot Way”. A method of football characterized by a bland ruthlessness that would allow them to let Tom Brady and numerous other big name players walk. Sexy phrases like “situational football” and “next man up” replaced the exciting “west coast offense” and “run n shoot” buzzwords of my youth.

The Dan Campbell regime is the furthest thing from cold and ruthless. At least in terms of personality. Beyond the headline grabbing “kneecap biting” is a highly emotional head coach who is known as much for his crying as his toughness. Before he even coached a game. Campbell got emotional recounting everything the city of Detroit has been through. That was within a revealing piece on theThe Ringer by Kevin Clark. That article also contained these nuggets from Campbell

“I want to be able to talk with what’s in my heart and on my mind because that’s who I am. It’s just everything that’s the essence of who I am,”

Or this doozy that I will condense a little about why Campbell felt like he was a perfect fit for Detroit.

“I just feel like this place fit me, man. It really did. Like I belonged…and this place called out to me. It was like, ‘You know what? You need to let these guys know what you’re about, that you understand their own pain.’”

Re read those statements. “The essence of who I am” or “this place called out to me”. Coach speak has become a cultural buzzword for meaningless words. You can say football coaches don’t talk like this. Heck I don’t know any males that speak like this. Those lines feel more like a John Mayer song than a locker room mantra.

So where I am going with all this Patriot talk? Stick with me for a minute. The Detroit Lions could be the metamorphosis of the Patriot Way. I like alliteration so forgive me for this flourish. The Lions look like the Patriot Way amplified by passion, pride, and a healthy dose of personality.

Back to the Patriots one last time. I always thought the blandness of the dynasty disguised a highly unconventional and forward thinking franchise. Simply put they zigged when everyone else zagged. They gave the keys of the franchise to a sixth round quarterback. Gave up draft picks and money for an undrafted Wes Welker. Replaced Welker with an unknown college quarterback from Kent St. in Julian Edelman. They even took an All American college wrestler and turned him into an All Pro guard (Stephen Neal) That is just a small sampling of “outside the box” thinking.

Beyond just Campbell’s personality. The Lions have been the furthest thing from conventional. Both on and off the field. On the field they send offensive tackles in motion. Then actually throw to them in big moments. It’s not just a gimmick. As the Kansas City game showed They have a major propensity to roll the dice. Beyond the headline grabbing late fourth down call that came up snake eyes. Was an early decision to call a fake punt deep in their in own territory in the first half. That gamble paid off. Campbell and company have taken going for it to a new level.

The unconventionality is taken to the next in personnel and the draft, In GM Brad Holmes’ short tenure we have already seen some big chances. How about taking a wideout with only one good college season and a torn ACL in the first round. Yep, already did that. As the running back position is being devalued across the league. Holmes not only took one in the first round. He took the second best running back. Followed it up swinging at another undervalued position. Taking a middle linebacker in Jack Campbell. Brad Holmes doesn’t care about your draft board.

Personnel wise, I would simply ask this question. If the Lions are really Super Bowl contenders. Who is their superstar? Most casuals would say Jared Goff. The quarterback always gets the attention. However the Lions do not appear to be in a hurry to pay him like one, Is it Aidan Hutchinson? Let’s be honest if a second year defensive end were to become the centerpiece of a Super Bowl contender. Hutch would be in rarefied air historically.

So what we left with? That is why I mention the Patriots. One last thing the blandness of the Patriots covered. Plenty of misses on the free agent market and a spotty draft record. If you are tired of the Patriots. The 49ers sure look an emerging dynasty. They are doing it behind the last pick in the draft playing quarterback and with one the greatest whiffs at that position in recent draft history.

These teams are showing you that organizational culture and continuity are perhaps more important than the draft and free agency. In past columns I’ve spilled a lot of ink about how I think the Lions botched the 2023 draft. I’ve also came go a somewhat biased and unsettling conclusion. I could be right and it might not even matter. It appears all that matters to this group of Lions is winning. The stakes or stage do not seem to matter. Who gets the credit doesn’t seem matter.

The above statements won’t seem like much of revelation. Especially for fans of winning franchises. However in Detroit. An anonymous group of players who just care about winning is rare. This group might not have a Sanders, Suh, or Megatron. However the more I watch them play. I think they prefer it that way. Is it enough to really contend for a Super Bowl? Frankly I’m not sure. I do know Detroit is a market that REALLY appreciates a blue collar winner.

Plenty of superstars in this town have not had a lack of rings held against them. If the Lions can consistently compete and win. That will be enough. The is a hard hat team for a hard hat wearing town. I’m not making any predictions. Thirty plus years of watching this franchise will make someone gun shy. However I think it’s going to be fun season. Hang on for the ride.