The Detroit Lions Inflection Point
Loosely and more particular the point I am trying to make. Inflection is defined as “change in tone or pitch”. It can be used grammatically to change the tense of a word. It is difficult to argue that Detroit’s collapse (sorry that’s what it was) is in any way good for the franchise. You could argue that Seattle and more specifically Atlanta have never recovered from gacking away a Super Bowl. However as someone who traffics in narratives. I am going to argue that the San Francisco debacle is an inflection point for the Lions. That if properly utilized can continue to push the franchise out of its near 70 year malaise.
Speaking of narratives. I’m going to push back on one the national media was just waiting to spring. I don’t believe Detroit earned millions fans overnight and became America’s team. Furthermore, if you know anything about the city. They have little to no interest in being labeled America’s team. What do you think “Detroit vs Everybody” means? If you need more concrete evidence. Just look at the stubborn defiance of the city’s most recent champions. The Bad Boys and Ben Wallace’s Pistons were not interested in winning popularity contests. While it’s not technically Detroit. Jim Harbaugh’s national championship team was most definitely not interested in national sentiment. They are appropriately revered because of it.
Which brings us to the inflection point. What do the Lions want to be? I think there are really only two options. I’ll touch on a third worst case scenario at the end of this discourse. The first option is to completely and coldly ignore what happened. Brush it off as just “football”. Rely on on buzzwords like “process”. Or mantra like “setback for the comeback”. I like to call this the Dan Quinn plan. Or if you are old, the Marv Levy plan. Or if you really old, the Bud Grant plan. You get the picture. More often than not— this just doesn’t work. Perhaps only Tony Dungy cracked the code of consistently coming up short. I think it’s pretty safe to say Dan Campbell is not Tony Dungy.
If you have been closely following the Lions trajectory. You know there is little concern about Dan Campbell changing. That man is comfortable in his own skin. What about everyone else though? Does the locker room still trust Dan “Gamble”? They might say they do now. However what happens when a fourth down call comes up snake eyes next year? That same media that was praising the boldness. They will start to call it reckless decision making. They already are. Does doubt seep into the locker room or front office? Simply put, if it does this Lions run is over. That might seem harsh or extreme. However that is the Lions predicament with how they have built this team.
They do not have a singular superstar to fall back on. Could it become Aidan Hutchinson, Jared Goff, or even one of the rookies who broke out this year? Certainly, but they are not there yet. Dan Campbell is essentially the franchise’s star. For all intents and purposes the Lions are functioning as a “cult of personality”. In most walks of life, this is not sustainable. When you play a sport in which you are asking grown men to run into walls for three hours. This can be a good thing. A seed of doubt can change that paradigm quickly.
There are a lot of numbers that say the Lions will be fine next year. There are even a lot of numbers that say Campbell made the right decisions on Sunday. I am intentionally eschewing them. Detroit is not built on numbers. Numbers have not been kind to the city in the last half century. Detroit is the largest American city to ever to declare bankruptcy. Crime rates, massive unemployment, population shifts, and a public school system taken over by the state government— you get the picture. The Motor City has had enough with the numbers.
A defiance of logic and conventional thought is part of why the city has embraced this iteration of the franchise. Despite the prevailing narrative. The Lions have had some success. However the fan base did not embrace Matthew Stafford like they have embraced Jared Goff. It goes just beyond playoff wins. I saw it in person last year after a so called meaningless victory at Lambeau Field. No one will ever approach the sublime greatness of Barry Sanders. But if you want to fire up a Lions fan. Simply broach the idea that Jahmyr Gibbs might have been taken too high. Lions fans LOVE them some Jahmyr Gibbs. Believing in that draft pick is essentially a litmus test or rite of passage for fandom (trust me, I failed this test and get reminded of it often)
Which brings us back to the point of inflection. The Lions need to lean into this loss. Answer crazy and reckless with another dose of crazy and reckless. The secondary was weak last year. Let’s trade up for another Iowa product and take Cooper DeJean (IYKYK) Jared Goff is due for a massive contract extension. Logic might beg for patience and prudence. Screw it, PAY the man. If it is going to be panned by the football intelligentsia, let’s do it. Bucking conventional wisdom is what got the franchise to this point. Let’s keep hitting on 19 at the blackjack table.
Is is risky, yep. It’s better than alternative though. Earlier I mentioned the dire third track the Lions could take. What does that look like? Who was the Lions biggest supporter in the land of sports punditry? You could argue it was certain gentleman named Rex Ryan. For younger readers. Rex Ryan led a hapless New York Jets franchise into rousing initial success. He was a star on HBO’s Hard Knocks. Known as “Sexy Rexy”, his brash style was seen as breath of fresh air by the media writ large. Essentially he was the Dan Campbell prototype.
A decade later he is talking about football on Get Up and NFL Gameday. There are a myriad of reasons why (quarterback play among them) However it’s not earth shattering to say that fame changes people. Especially on a big stage like New York City. That is why this loss. As gut wrenching as devastating as it may seem right now, could be good for the franchise. Additionally not in the way that a popular narrative making machine might create. The Lions have no need to be coined lovable losers akin to the Red Sox or Chicago Cubs. Those L words are just not in the Detroit DNA.
One last time I return the inflection point. It’s a bit of a misnomer as we conclude. The Lions do not need to “change their tone or pitch.” They DO need to avoid the passivity other teams with postseason collapses have faced. They DO need to avoid the fame trap that engulfed coaches like Rex Ryan. As enticing as it may seem, they need avoid becoming “America’s” team. That is a fickle and elusive title. They need to be Detroit’s team. They need to grit their teeth, buckle down, and stay true to who they are. It is not only the path to success. That is what a championship team from Detroit does.
