Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26) celebrates a touchdown against Tampa Bay Buccaneers with wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) during the second half of the NFC divisional round at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024.
Syndication: Detroit Free Press
(Detroit, MI) – After years of crippling mediocrity the Lions are as close to being a contender since the Bobby Layne days.
Entering 2023, Detroit had just one playoff win in the 65 seasons following their last championship in 1957. The sole victory was quickly let down by a blowout loss to Washington in the 1991 NFC championship. In 2021 they saw their career passing leader finally hoist a Lombardi Trophy – only he was dawning the colors of the Los Angeles Rams.
But this last season was different. The Lions faced the same franchise great in the wildcard round, notching their first postseason win in 31 years. They held off Tampa Bay at home before falling short of the team’s first Super Bowl appearance once again, this time in San Francisco.
Hall of Fame receiver Calvin Johnson has not been shy in his criticism of the once-perennial losers, but now has the confidence to publicly back his team. “After last year, I feel they can play with anybody. The first step is to handle what we do in our division. If we handle what we do in our division, that goes a long way.” The Lions never won a division title in Johnson’s time with the team.
While Detroit has seen great players like Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson have terrific careers with lacking team success, Dan Campbell’s crew is looking to create sustained success.
The next great Lion of this generation, Aidan Hutchinson, is confident that the team, and the city backing them, has a new sense of identity. “There’s a lot of hype coming into this year, but I think it’s well deserved hype… There’s a lot of great players on this team, and I think we could just have repeated success over the next few years.”
The core of this team is locked up for a number of years, thanks to blockbuster deals this offseason for Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Penei Sewell. Hutchinson himself is bound for a big contract in the near future.
With a powerful and young supporting cast around him, Hutch added, “I think a lot more guys on our team understand what this year is, and we understand what we got and we’re all ready.”
The Lions are currently the favorite to win the NFC North, with the second best odds to win the conference. They sit just behind San Francisco, Kansas City, and Baltimore at +1300 for a Super Bowl title.
