Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell is leaving the preseason with a not-so-great feeling about his team. He even went as far as to say it’s “a bit concerning” how the Lions played in the preseason. Since they played in the Hall of Fame game this year, Detroit played four games, finishing 1-3 in the process. While preseason success or lack thereof doesn’t always determine how a team’s regular season will pan out, hearing Campbell express his concern might enough to make other NFC squads feel like they can seize an opportunity.
“The practices look really good, but all four of these games have not been good,” Campbell said. “That’s an issue. Because all of a sudden the lights are on and we’re in real games, and the coach isn’t behind you, and there’s no scripts. That’s a little bit concerning.”
The Lions are finding their way
The Lions have been one of the absolute best and most explosive teams in the entire NFL over the past three seasons. Those of us over 30 years old might find that hard to believe but the Lions have reeled off three consecutive winning campaigns and look to make that four this year. However, last season the defense struggled due to so many injuries and that may have carried over to this year’s preseason and infected the whole team. That’s what it seems like when Campbell reveals his concern about the team.
It's tough to gauge sometimes from the outside on how well a team has really played in the preseason simply because most starters especially well-established ones barely touch the field. So, maybe coach Campbell is overreacting or maybe he’s onto something. Sports Illustrated graded the Lions’ preseason finale by unit and none of them got better than a C besides special teams with a B.
Obviously, that’s a lot of non-starters and players who won’t even make the team but when a team’s head coach calls them out, it can mean a couple of things. 1.) Coach actually believes what he says and can’t fathom how bad they are. 2.) Campbell saw some things he didn’t like that may not have been the end of the world but wants them cleaned up immediately. 3.) The sky is falling and the world is ending or in other words, the Lions are reverting back to being the Lions of old.
Need to get back on track soon
Whatever the issue may be, Detroit has a little over one week to get on track for their Week 1 opener at Green Bay. The Lions swept the Packers last season and have beaten them in three of their last four meetings. This could be an opportunity for Green Bay to catch Detroit at the right time and seize the moment.
We’ll find out soon if the Lions have lost their mojo or just needed a kick in the butt to refocus on the goal task at hand. They’ve been heavily in the NFC mix for two years now. Their offense was the best thing going but with the former maestro, Ben Johnson, now running the show in Chicago, we’re about to find out just how good this offense is without that special ingredient. For the NFC teams looking to make that come up, if the Lions are on your schedule you might be well served to get them early on this season.