As the Detroit Lions cleaned out their lockers, they dared to dream big, that their breakthrough season wasn’t just another flash of false hope, but rather a portent of bigger things still to come.
The Lions rolled into this past season with so much hype that Dan Campbell once openly wondered whether it was all a bit much. Then they cruised to their first NFC North title with two games still to play, finished with a franchise-record 12 wins overall and hosted their first playoff game in 30 years. They won their first playoff game in 32 years that night, then another the following week to advance to their first NFC Championship game since 1991.
They faced bigger expectations than ever, then delivered on all that and then some.
After their ouster on Sunday night in San Francisco, their aim is higher and more ambitious in 2024.
“Super Bowl or bust,” linebacker Alex Anzalone said.
After wasting for decades in irrelativity, the Lions will head into next season as bonafide heavyweights. One of the league’s youngest rosters will have yet another year of development, while nearly all the key pieces are back from their 14-win campaign, including burgeoning stars like All-Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, All-Pro center Frank Ragnow, All-Pro tight end Sam LaPorta, Pro Bowl running back Jahmyr Gibbs and Pro Bowl edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson.
So too will Ben Johnson, the star offensive coordinator who shockingly informed the Washington Commanders in the middle of a flight to Detroit that he wasn’t going anywhere. He’s the architect of back-to-back top-five offenses, and with all but three starters under contract for next season, the Lions are well-positioned to make another run at it.
And everyone is clear about what “it” is.
“(Johnson) wants to take another shot at bringing a Lombardi Trophy to Detroit,” the NFL Network said of Johnson’s thinking.
When was the last time a hot-shot coach kept turning down instant riches to pursue a Super Bowl in Detroit? Heck, when was the last time you could even say “Super Bowl” and “Detroit” in the same breath without it being part of some joke?
The Lions are no underdog anymore, and fairly so, although there is a heaviness that comes with wearing the crown of expectation. They’re going to get everyone’s best shot. They’re also going to draw one of the league’s toughest schedules, matching up with fellow division champions like Houston, San Francisco, Dallas, Tampa and Buffalo.
There is also the threat of satisfaction setting in, especially for an eternal underdog that has built its identity on scarring perfectly. How do they handle success?
The Lions have always struggled to build on moments like this, perpetually backsliding into mediocrity. They also had a dazzling young team in the early 1990s, led by up-and-coming superstars like Barry Sanders and Herman Moore. When they were blown out by Washington in the 1991 NFC Championship game, there was an assumption they’d be back. They went 5-11 the following year and never won another playoff game.
All these years later, the Lions still have never won back-to-back division championships in their history.
Turning a moment like this into genuine success is a challenge, although the Lions are helmed by a man who has navigated it before. Dan Campbell was an assistant in New Orleans when the Saints reeled off four straight division titls, and has seen what it takes to maintain success once you’ve tasted it.
“You’ve got to stay consistent, which we’ve done for three years now,” Campbell said. “Stay true to what you believe in. When it comes time to start over, you start over. And it’s all about, like what I said, the hard work, the detail. We’ve got to be physical. That’s part of who we are, but if you start to deviate off of what you’ve been, (it can go the other way).
“The other thing you’ve got to be careful of, you fall in a trap with the more success you have with these players, the more attached you get. And you’ve got to be careful you don’t get blinded, and that’s hard. That’s hard to do. You’ve got to see it for what it is, step back and make sure the player is producing and is capable of producing at a high level, and take your emotions out of it.”
The Lions will have a low turnover rate in their starting lineup next season, with only three players eligible to hit free agency in March. Two of them are guards Graham Glasgow and Jonah Jackson, leaving major questions about how to proceed with the club’s biggest strength up front. Another is receiver Josh Reynolds, who should be replaced by Jameson Williams as the No. 2 next season, but more depth will be required if Reynolds departs.
The rest of the full-time starting lineup is under contract, sparking understandable hope even better things are ahead for the 14-win Lions. But like Campbell said, improving competition across the roster is critical to fending off regression.
That’s especially true in their pass defense, which ranked 27th this past season, and they need help at cornerback and edge rusher. Aidan Hutchinson was phenomenal, racking up a league-high 121 pressures including the playoffs, but no one else had more than 53 pressures, and even that came from interior man Alim McNeill.
The inconsistent pass rush exacerbated the coverage issues in the back end, where Cam Sutton struggled to be a No. 1 cornerback, and everyone else struggled to be a No. 2. Kindle Vildor was an improvement once he replaced Jerry Jacobs, and even he allowed the worst QB rating on the team (135.0).
Detroit also faces the prospect of losing safety Ceedy Duce in free agency, while there are long-term needs to consider at offensive tackle, where longtime bulwark Taylor Decker is entering a contract year. He would love to sign a new contract, but with a huge deal likely coming for Penei Sewell before the start of the 2025 season, Detroit might not have the capital it needs to get something else done at that position.
The Lions won’t pick until 29th in the draft, but general manager Brad Holmes has proven to have a sharp eye for talent anywhere on the board. He’ll have seven bullets in this year’s draft, including two in the third round (and none in the fourth).
Holmes also increased his activity in free agency last year, and now that the Lions are in a Super-Bowl-or-bust mindset, he could be more active than ever before. Free agents will be attracted to the success in Detroit too, and especially Dan Campbell, whose reputation is sterling across the league. Detroit has financial flexibility to throw its weight around on the market too, projected to have the sixth-most cap space in the league.
But the Lions will be judicious with the kinds of players they bring in, focusing on the types that got them here in the first place.
“I think the whole point was to create a core that had certain standards,” Campbell said. “Obviously they’ve got to be good players, and we have that. But they’ve got to be a certain way, and there’s got to be a certain mindset and a certain identity, and we have that with our core. We’ve got to add pieces that are like-minded. We’ve got to add more talent, more competition that thinks the same way that group of guys in that locker room does. And it’s non-negotiable if it’s not. There’s no level of talent that is worth bringing something that doesn’t fit what we’re about in there.”
The word “grit” comes to mind, although it goes way beyond that. Winning in Detroit has never been easy, and the Lions have collected players who embrace the tough road. They’ll continue to look for that in the DNA of draft picks and free-agent signings, hoping to rebuild the team with more talent and resilience, without betraying the culture that got them here in the first place.
“I think it’s guys that aren’t afraid of the long road, aren’t afraid of the hard times, and aren’t afraid of adversity and thrive in those situations,” Goff said. “They’re guys that are ready to be counted out, ready to be doubted and say, ‘All right, we’re going to show you.’ It’s guys that work hard, practice hard and are pros and good teammates, and most importantly, are winners.”
