Kansas City, Mo. — They’re not cocky or coy, but they’re not cautious, either. The Lions believe they’re the same team, or even better, that finished last season on a roll. NFL America believes it, too, installing the Lions as division favorites, lavishing Dan Campbell with praise and inviting them to the Opening Night gala.
Here they come, from the shadows into the brightest light possible. What will the Lions see and how will they react? Will they blink? Will they take a minute to adjust to the sweet heat?
They can’t take much more than a minute Thursday night against the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs and reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes. Kansas City is 9-1 in openers under Andy Reid and has played in three of the past four Super Bowls. Arrowhead Stadium is sacred football ground, and the Lions were picked to be thrown into the arena, making this the most anticipated opener many Lions fans have ever experienced.
If it seems like things are moving too quickly, well, it’s easy to get dizzy. The Lions were 9-8 last season and haven’t won a playoff game in three decades. Less than a year ago, they were 1-6 and teetering. But entering the third season under Campbell and GM Brad Holmes, they’ve collected young talent through shrewd drafting, signed solid free agents, and perhaps most importantly, trusted in Jared Goff, who relearned how to trust himself.
Are the Lions ready to match up with a Super Bowl team? From an experience standpoint, nope. From a talent and cohesiveness standpoint, maybe. For one night, sure, especially with the Chiefs possibly missing two of their stars, defensive tackle Chris Jones (holdout) and tight end Travis Kelce (knee).
There’s no looking back or turning back now, as the Lions step into a vast unknown.
“This is a great opportunity, a good barometer to see where we are,” offensive tackle Taylor Decker said. “We have a feel for what kind of players we have, but it doesn’t matter until game time. We feel the excitement throughout Detroit and the fan base, throughout the country, to see if the Lions are for real or not.”
As far as an authentically good team, I think the Lions are for real. As far as a championship team, they have so much yet to experience, to be tested. I have them going 10-7 and winning the NFC North, the minimum to be considered a legitimate leap. If they do that and land a home playoff game, anything is possible. And they’re not downplaying the possibilities.
“We’re not scared of the expectations,” Holmes said during training camp. “The expectations are earned through what we’ve built, what we’ve done up to this point and how we finished the end of last season. But now, we’ve got to just prove them right.”
That’s a tricky twist for the Lions, long dogged by doubt, now peppered with praise. They hear it, but they say they’re not biting on it. As Holmes talked, he fiddled with a coffee cup bearing one word in block black letters: GRIT.
Grit is a favored football label, but it’s not enough by itself. The Lions have upgraded their talent, boast one of the league’s best offensive lines and restocked their secondary with accomplished pros such as C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Cam Sutton. Receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and offensive tackle Penei Sewell are trending toward stardom.
Leader at QB
Goff is coming off a terrific season, wrapped by a spectacular closing stretch, when the Lions went 8-2. He hasn’t thrown an interception in 324 pass attempts, and it’s not a function of cautiousness as much as comfortableness with savvy offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
Goff has grown to appreciate his rocky journey, hardened by an ugly exit from Los Angeles and an inauspicious arrival in Detroit, now heartened by how much tougher it made him. He’s become a sage, calming voice, reminding everyone the Lions haven’t made the playoffs yet, and there’s no “magic pill” that allows them to pick up where last season left off.
In many ways, Goff, 28, has been rediscovered by the national media, just as the Lions have. It’s not a coincidence.
“I feel like I’m playing as well as I’ve ever played,” Goff told ESPN during camp. “Physically, I’m as strong as I’m going to be for the next five to seven years. I feel I’m entering a point in my career where I have a good grasp of everything we’re doing. I feel like I’m becoming that veteran quarterback that you always grew up watching.”
For this ride to continue, Goff has to be the poised orchestrator. He doesn’t have to be someone like Mahomes. That’s how Holmes has meticulously built the roster, with strength in the trenches and depth at most positions.
“I tell Goff, he’s very much a piece of the puzzle here; it’s not the end-all, be-all,” Campbell said. “We don’t need you to be a Hall of Fame quarterback out there. We just need you to run the offense, be efficient, make the throws that are there, be accurate. We don’t really talk in terms of, ‘Be smart, be smart,’ because I think you can create a little fear if you’re not careful. Hey, (if) the play’s there, now cut it loose. We don’t want to coach out of fear.”
It starts with Campbell
Campbell sure doesn’t. He goes for it on fourth down more than any coach in the league, and if that was a necessity at first because the Lions were outmanned, it’s now part of their DNA. Everything emanates from Campbell, who sets the energetic tone, pumps the belief and motivates like few coaches we’ve seen.
Burying the franchise’s morbid past required a forceful personality and a smart front office. Owner Sheila Hamp gets credit for choosing people willing and able to collaborate. Holmes and Campbell stick to the football characteristics they believe in, and the Lions’ physical, passionate style reflects it.
From 3-13-1 their first year to 9-8, they haven’t climbed on the shoulders of established superstars. That’s why they lean so heavily on toughness. You know, grit and bear it.
“I think last year, we proved that we can definitely compete with anyone,” Holmes said. “And I believe we got better this offseason, so we feel even more confident that we’ll be able to compete with the big dogs. I mean, there’s not a better test than the opener.”
It’s the most celebrated Lions opener in years, and not just because of the opponent and the venue. The Lions have a chance to prove they deserved the invite, and they sound like they can’t wait. They crave an eye-opener, after starting the past two seasons 0-8 and 1-6. Campbell describes Arrowhead as a place built by the football gods. Through a quirk of scheduling, the Lions haven’t played there since 2003, and Goff said it’s the only NFL stadium he hasn’t seen. They truly are treading on new ground.
“I’ve played there, coached there, and it’s an unbelievable environment, it really is,” Campbell said. “I told my guys, ‘Man, embrace it, enjoy this. This shouldn’t be stressful. Take it all in, enjoy the sunlight.’ I know it’s at night, but when you’re a true competitor, to go on the road in an environment like this, I think it really brings out the best in you.”
In football, it’s tough to become tough, but tougher to become great, as the audience grows and expectations rise. It’s only one game out of 17, one step from the darkness into the light. No, it’s not a season-definer but perhaps a season-setter, the first chance for the Lions to look around a place they’ve never been and see if they belong.
bob.wojnowski@detroitnews.com
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