By holding on for a 23-20 win over the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving Day, the Detroit Lions improved their record to 11-1, and an increasing number of people believe the Lions will end up holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy this winter.
The utter ineptitude they displayed for some three decades is now becoming a more distant memory, and much of the credit for the franchise’s remarkable turnaround has gone to head coach Dan Campbell.
He took over in the 2021 season, and while the team struggled that year and for the first half of the 2022 campaign, it has been dynamite ever since by winning 33 of its last 42 games, per The 33rd Team.
Dan Campbell started 4-19-1 in his first season and a half as the Lions’ HC
Detroit is now 33-9 since Week 9 of 2022 https://t.co/JXmLztRsyF pic.twitter.com/puGivvgAHq
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) November 28, 2024
From the early 1990s until last season, the Lions were one of a handful of sports franchises across the nation that were synonymous with failure.
They hadn’t won a single playoff game since the 1991 season, despite having some bona fide stars such as Calvin Johnson, Barry Sanders and Matthew Stafford.
But Detroit finished the 2022 season by winning eight of their last 10 games, which led to high expectations for last season, and they met those expectations by finishing first in the NFC North and coming within minutes of clinching a spot in the Super Bowl.
Although star defensive lineman Aidan Hitchinson is likely out for the rest of the season with a leg injury, their defense has largely held up, and they have the NFL’s top scoring offense.
Detroit sports fans have been perpetually frustrated for some 20 years, but this could be the year they get rewarded for their loyalty.
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