Allen Park – Expectations are as high as they’ve ever been for the Lions. Perhaps you’ve heard them. Division favorites. National TV mainstays. Super Bowl sleepers.
For many NFL teams, that’s nothing new. For the Lions, it’s such a rare phenomenon, it draws media visitors from across the country, who splash Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes across TVs and websites, enchanted by their colorful candor. It draws curious onlookers to Lions camp, as the stands fill at every open practice and cheering fans occasionally even chant the owner’s name.
This feels like the Upside Down, a reversal of perspective that happened so suddenly, it’s still somewhat hard to comprehend. We don’t know where this ride will end, or exactly where it started, or whether it’s actually real. A mere nine months ago, the Lions were 1-6 (4-19-1 under the new regime) and owner Sheila Hamp publicly expressed frustration, but also issued support.
Did it turn with the next victory, 15-9 over Green Bay? Or with consecutive road triumphs over Chicago and the New York Giants? From a national perspective, it turned in the season finale, when the Lions, freshly eliminated from playoff contention, wrecked Aaron Rodgers’ farewell in Green Bay with a fearless effort and finished 9-8.
However and wherever it began, it’s now in the hands of Campbell. As the old saying goes, with high expectations comes enormous responsibility to win the flippin’ division for the first time in 30 years, or something like that. A few days ago, the team announced it had sold out its season tickets — 55,000 in all — for the first time in Ford Field’s 21-year existence.
Fans are so inspired, they’ve turned their emotional investment into unprecedented financial investment. Delivering a return is a responsibility that could shake anyone if they let it, or felt it.
“No, I don’t feel weight,” Campbell said before practice Saturday. “I feel wind underneath my freaking wings, man. That’s what I feel. Truthfully.”
His cadence rose as he threw out his arms, like wings. Either he was sarcastically acknowledging it — yeah, of course I feel it, I’m not an idiot. Or he was playfully dismissing the notion because it serves no purpose. He was sort of smiling and sort of joking, but not completely.
“Absolutely, absolutely, I love this, man,” Campbell continued. “This is outstanding. I love our fans. I love that they feel it like we feel it. And no, this is not a burden, this is not pressure, this is not weight, this is, man, this gives me inspiration for me and our guys.”
Too much hype?
There’s no hiding now, not that Campbell and the Lions want to. In some ways, they’re in the ideal spot for heightened interest. They haven’t accomplished anything yet, literally, so there can’t be much hubris. There is no “Won 8 of last 10 games in 2022” banner to be raised.
Campbell began training camp two weeks ago suggesting the hype train was “out of control.” Jared Goff chuckled and said, “It’s funny to me that you go 9-8, you don’t make the playoffs, and now all of a sudden you’re a favorite.”
These are healthy attitudes. Yet according to Vegas, the Lions are the heaviest betting favorite in any division. Holmes marvels at the acclaim but doesn’t necessarily downplay it. The Lions are eons beyond where they were two years ago, but they needed eons of progress just to catch up. If we’re following the hype train analogy, they’re expected to blow past several whistlestops this season.
“I will say it’s a little shocking to me — not (the Lions) making the postseason, but the height of the hype train,” Holmes said on 97.1 The Ticket last week. “I didn’t think it would be to that magnitude, but it’s very much appreciated. At the end of the day, we just block out that noise. That’s been the message to the team, and the guys have done a good job handling it.”
Since Hamp took over in 2020 and eventually, mercifully broomed the Bob Quinn-Matt Patricia regime, the Lions have tried to do things the opposite of how they used to. They’re transparent, not defensive. They talk about communication and collaboration and shun divisiveness. If we thought those were buzzwords at first, they’re evident now. On the field, Holmes and Campbell laugh and chat while special assistant Chris Spielman stalks the turf and Hamp mingles with fans, cheerfully signing autographs.
Instead of lamenting the public’s obsession with the franchise’s woeful past, the Lions are determined to bury it, not just with words. The only way to do it is stick to the plan, and not stand pat. The Lions had a top-five offense last season and decided it should be even better, bringing in a whole new backfield by signing David Montgomery and drafting Jahmyr Gibbs. Second-round tight end Sam LaPorta looks like an instant-impact weapon. If the offensive line can stay healthy, it could be stronger than ever.
After a recent practice in which the offense dominated, it still wasn’t enough.
“What we’re striving for as an offense is to be the best, and we’re still not close to where we want to be,” said Amon-Ra St. Brown, who had 106 receptions for 1,161 yards in 2022. “For me, it’s like, you’re only as good as your last year. This is a new year, we’re all at zero. I have zero catches, zero touchdowns, zero everything. … I have Twitter, I have Instagram, I see stuff. I don’t forget things, whether negative or positive, and I like to prove people wrong.”
He famously recalls every painful moment when he was drafted in the fourth round in 2021, the 17th receiver taken. He can recite the other 16 in order. He leads the team by stats and by stature, with an insatiable work ethic. He hasn’t varied his routine, taking 202 passes from the automated throwing machine after every practice.
Campbell’s Sup-er
When you wonder whether the Lions can fulfill expectations, and you wonder why Campbell doesn’t wonder about it, St. Brown is one of the reasons.
“A guy like Saint, he sets the bar,” Campbell said. “That’s where it is, and now can we get above that? Because I know this, if it’s below, it isn’t good enough. He has not changed one bit since he was a rookie. … If I’m a young guy, I’m watching him every play. And my biggest fear is, I don’t ever want to take him for granted.”
Are the Lions hoping second-year receiver Jameson Williams takes notice? Sure. Veteran Marvin Jones is here to help as well, and admits he’s shocked how different the atmosphere is compared to his first stint with the Lions.
As practice ended, team president Rod Wood smiled at the scene. In addition to the season-ticket sellout (21,000 of the 55,000 were new purchasers), almost every suite is sold. The team offers 3,500 free tickets online for open practices and each one has been grabbed so far. I asked where he thought the fervor began and he mentioned HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” which is a solid starting point.
Then Campbell walked past and Wood nodded in his direction.
“A lot of it is that guy,” Wood said. “Fans love him, players love him and they want to play for him. And I think he makes us a fun team to root for.”
The Lions take chances, and not just with their penchant for fourth-down gambles. With their roster, with their offense, with guys like Williams, Gibbs and LaPorta, drafted higher than expected, and a guy like St. Brown, taken lower than expected.
It’s led by Campbell, who embraces the weight to end the franchise’s wait. All is good in the sunny, giddy days of summer. The Giants are coming to town this week for combined practices leading to the Friday night preseason opener, another game that won’t count in the grand scheme. Starting soon, they’ll all count more than ever, and at least the Lions have a healthy sense of what’s coming.
Bob.wojnowski@detroitnews.com
Twitter: bobwojnowski