Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell left no doubt during spring workouts that he cares little about a so-called “Super Bowl or bust” mantra.
Campbell spoke with reporters on the opening day of the club’s training camp about the mindset he wants his players to embrace.
“We don’t live off reputation, we live off of work,” Campbell said Wednesday, per Eric Woodyard of ESPN. “And that’s what’s gotten us where we’re at. It’s been a long, hard road to get to where we’re at right now, and there’s a price to be paid and so we’ve got to go pay it again. That’s the message, and it will always be the message.”
Under Campbell, the Lions have won 20 of their last 27 regular-season games going back to the fall of 2022. Most recently, he guided the 2023 edition of the club to the NFC North division title and the conference championship game, where Detroit squandered a 24-7 halftime lead en route to suffering a brutal 34-31 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
“I believe that what we did last year can carry over into this season. I do, as long as we go to work,” Campbell said.
The Lions did well this offseason to hold onto both defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson even though they were candidates for head-coaching jobs. Detroit also signed key figures such as wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, All-Pro offensive tackle Penei Sewell and quarterback Jared Goff to contract extensions.
As for Campbell, he’s entering his fourth season in charge of the Lions and sounds optimistic he’s improved from where he was as a coach in January 2021.
“I’ve got more experience, but so does the staff under me,” Campbell added. “They’ve got more experience, and they’ve got more experience being around me and myself being around them, so that makes me better. Your staff makes you a lot better, and they’re the reason that I’m even in this position and we’re having success. We make all — each of us, we make each other better.”
As of late Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Lions second behind only the 49ers (+250) at +550 odds to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LIX. History suggests such forecasts will serve as extra motivation for Campbell to keep his players focused on the task at hand.