Credit: Duane Burleson/AP
The Detroit Lions: The Pride of the Future
Published: Wednesday, December 11, 2024
by Matthew Nazario
On December 28th, 2008, the Detroit Lions lost to the Green Bay Packers by a score of 31-21. They dropped to 0-16 to finish their 2008 season, becoming the second team in NFL history to achieve such a disastrous status. On this team was a man by the name of Dan Campbell, a tight end who would be released a few months after this loss.
Over 16 years later, on December 5th, 2024, a now-dominant Lions team, coached by none other than Campbell himself, defeated the Packers 34-31. They improved to an incredible 12-1 record and clinched a playoff berth for the second straight year.
Even those who may not be fans of the Detroit Lions would be hard pressed to not acknowledge how magical the past three seasons have been for this franchise. A team that had been treading water for decades, so much so that fans wished they were removed from annual Thanksgiving games, has turned into one of the NFL’s largest attractions.
During his four-year tenure coaching the Lions thus far, Campbell has led them to three straight winning seasons. Through interviews, a season of Hard Knocks, as well as simply tuning into their games, it is evident just how much Campbell believes in this team; he cares about and trusts his players completely. It is this incredibly strong bond between coach and players that serves as the basis for the new mantra Detroit has held within themselves in recent years.
The excellent coaching from the Lions is not limited to Campbell; offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn help orchestrate an offense that is first in points per game (32.1), and a defense that is second in points allowed per game (eight).
The defense has taken a tremendous step up from last season, not only in points allowed (in which they ranked 23rd last year) but also being sixth in the league in turnovers forced with 20. While they are currently dealing with a handful of injuries on the defensive side, one can hope for their sake that they all make a speedy recovery before the postseason.
When the Lions had parted ways with longtime franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford in the trade with the Los Angeles Rams a few years ago, they had acquired the Rams’ starting QB Jared Goff. While many had thought this was Los Angeles sending Goff to rot away in Motown for the rest of his career, that could not have been farther from the reality of it at all. If anything, Detroit has given Jared Goff an abundance of new life, he is currently third in the NFL in both passing yards (3265) and passing touchdowns (25) at the time of writing.
The Lions have developed quite a formidable duo in the backfield in the form of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, AKA Sonic and Knuckles. On the season, both men have 12 touchdowns and 1000 yards from scrimmage, proving to be two of Detroit’s biggest threats whenever they march down the field.
Gibbs has proved many doubters wrong during his short career so far; he was quite the controversial draft pick initially when other backs, such as the current Atlanta Falcon Bijan Robinson, were still available on the board. The two are the perfect combination of speed and power, hence the Sonic and Knuckles moniker, with the duo stifling defenses all season long.
As if they weren’t talented enough already with their defensive unit and backfield, opposing teams must worry about the incredible assembly of talent that makes up Detroit’s wide receiver unit. The Lions possesses a constant offensive threat on every down they play, which is a trait not every team has. Additionally, they can effectively use their running backs as receivers if they choose to. Mr. Consistency for QB Jared Goff has been Amon-Ra St. Brown, with 863 receiving yards (sixth in the NFL) on the season.
While he has been without a touchdown in the last three games, St. Brown is still putting up respectable yard performances, and earlier in the season had a touchdown streak of eight straight games. While he may not find the end zone as much as others on the offensive unit, Jameson Williams has shown to be a consistent big play specialist, and massive yard gain threat for the Lions. Coach Campbell must also surely be content with the great tight end play from Sam LaPorta, who Goff often looks to especially when in need of a first down.
Another feel-good story so far has been Jake Bates, a kicker whom the Lions signed from the UFL over the offseason. He has proven to be quite the important piece of the puzzle for Detroit; in a year where many kickers have struggled, Bates has thrived. He has a few game winning and tying field goals, recently the one he connected to win the game for the Lions against the Packers last Thursday.
With the playoffs just around the corner, Lions faithful should be incredibly optimistic about their team. The team exemplifies the hard-working nature and grit of their city. For the first time in a very long time, this is a Lions team the city of Detroit can be incredibly proud of.
Matthew Nazario can be reached at matthew.nazario@student.shu.edu.Posted in: sports,