Detroit — If you watched HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” you probably enjoyed the Lions’ colorful coaches and rambunctious young players. At times, it looked and sounded like a revival meeting, with Aidan Hutchinson dancing and Jamaal Williams crying and Dan Campbell exhorting with animated spiels of profanity and hilarity.
The Lions have stirred up something, although we’re not exactly sure what. The home opener against the Eagles Sunday is sold out for the first time in nearly a decade, standing room only, which is how most revivals are conducted.
Campbell and Co. have uplifted the fans, which is invigorating, encouraging and a tiny bit dangerous. Now we find out if they can uplift the team, 3-13-1 a year ago. It’s one thing to get people on their feet. It’s quite another to keep them standing.
At the risk of hyperbole, I’d suggest this is the most-anticipated opener for a three-win team in recent history. The way last season ended (3-3 down the stretch), the way GM Brad Holmes has drafted, the way Campbell and his staff preach, the way the schedule seems to be break favorably, we get it. We just have to see it.
Are the Lions notably improved from last season? Yep, I’d say so.
Do they have sufficient talent to claw into the top half of the NFL? Nope, I’d say not yet.
I’m sticking with a 7-10 final record, with the standard wiggle room. The opener is daunting against an Eagles team that crushed the Lions 44-6 last season and appears even better now. I don’t think NFL teams consistently win with the power of personality and persuasion, or the hype of hope. In the absence of established stars on the league’s second-youngest roster (behind only the Browns) the Lions have lots to prove.
‘Nowhere to hide’
You can’t shout a revival into reality. But shooing the sins of the past is a good place to start. For what it’s worth, Campbell, in only his second season, has drawn national attention, most of it favorable.
“Now we’re in the arena,” he said as the opener neared. “There’s no more standing outside, waiting for the gates to open, man. We’re going in, and there’s nowhere to run. There’s nowhere to hide. It’s just us. And the heat’s on, and if you don’t love that, you don’t belong up here. I do believe we have a gritty group, and I think we’re tough, and I think we’re physical, and we’ve got to play with our hair on fire.”
Whoa. That passion might send fans running through brick walls with fire-retardant headgear. The giveaway at Ford Field for the opener is a Campbell bobblehead, which is cool. It’ll be cooler when the Lions have their pick of player bobbleheads.
Maybe it’s Hutchinson, who has impressed with his manic manner and unique talent. The No. 2 overall pick from Michigan should provide impact in an area of dire need — the pass rush. Perhaps it’s D’Andre Swift, the multifaceted running back. Or T.J. Hockenson, the talented tight end at a career crossroad. Or Amon-Ra St. Brown, the second-year receiver who’s a gem that could be polished into a full-fledged star.
Beyond that? The Lions have no player ranked on NFL.com’s top 100 list, and center Frank Ragnow has been the lone dependable All-Pro candidate. We spend days and months debating whether Jared Goff is the long-term quarterback, and there’s no guarantee we’ll get a definitive answer this season. He looks more comfortable with new coordinator Ben Johnson but is still limited.
Campbell and Holmes have shown no inclination for risky leaps, opting to build in less-conspicuous areas. Their offensive line could be among the best, although a couple of injuries are a concern. If Ragnow can’t play Sunday because of a groin injury, that’s trouble against the Eagles’ fearsome defensive front.
Frankly, there will be no dramatic rise in the record until the Lions put together a defense. They ranked in the bottom five in every key statistical category last season. It’s no coincidence two rookies could start — Hutchinson and sixth-round linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez. Add Jeff Okudah, the 2020 No. 3 overall pick who missed all of last season, and the Lions might have something to work with.
But much of it is raw. Holmes has drafted well, and generally shied away from veteran free agents. I get the strategy, but it’s important to remind everyone that NFL rebuilds shouldn’t take as long as those in hockey or baseball. The Lions signed safety DeShon Elliott, re-signed their own promising defenders in Tracy Walker and Charles Harris, and returned many of the same pieces to defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
Glenn is another dynamic voice and leader, as is Duce Staley, assistant head coach and running backs coach. Their individual competitive fervor was hilariously spotlighted on “Hard Knocks.” When the Lions were stuffing the Steelers on several drives in a preseason game, Campbell could be heard exclaiming into his headset, “I think we’ve got a defense, gentlemen.”
Backing up the buzz
I think we’ll have to see. The defensive line might be the most improved area, adding Hutchinson and bringing back Harris, who led the team with 7½ sacks. Glenn is altering the look, switching to 4-3 attacking fronts. Hutchinson, for one, loves it.
“I’m a very versatile player and they’re using me that way,” said Hutchinson, who will play all up and down the line. “They’re putting me just about everywhere. I know wherever they put me I’m going to dominate and be the player that I am.”
The Lions aren’t lacking belief, just talent in key areas. Holmes has plucked possible stars in his first two drafts, from Penei Sewell to Hutchinson to receivers Jameson Williams (injured) and St. Brown, who caught 90 passes for 912 yards as a rookie. The Lions are starting to develop young talent, but when most of your recognizable pieces are rookies and coaches, you’ve got work to do.
The Lions haven’t merely generated buzz locally. Nationally, they’re mentioned as an awakening sleeper, perhaps even a contender in the NFC North. Of course they’re also pegged to win only six or seven games, and ESPN projected their defense last in the league again.
“What is our true identity?” Campbell asked aloud. “We really won’t know that until we get four or five games into the season. … It’s like I told (Lions principal owner and chair) Sheila (Ford Hamp). I said, ‘You know what, here’s where we’re at. We’re better than we were this time last year.’ Now, what does that mean? It means we’re better than we were this time last year. I don’t know what that equates to, I just know we’re better.”
He conveys it in entertaining ways, from the moment he started talking about biting kneecaps and turning the Lions into the grittiest group imaginable. So is there pressure to back it up, grit and bear it? Sure there is.
“If we go out there and win three games again, then it’s all for naught,” Campbell said. “So we can have as much buzz as you want, and I really appreciate that this fan base is so passionate. They deserve to have hope and belief, but we’ve got to hold up our end of the bargain.”
Thanks to Campbell, they’ve gotten people to notice, standing room only. But unless the Lions patch together a disruptive defense, and Goff plays with increased confidence and poise, this likely will be a transition season — half-revival, half-survival.
bob.wojnowski@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @bobwojnowski