Even though the Lions are still comfortably out of a playoff spot, Detroit is feeling optimistic about their football team for the first time in what feels like forever. The energy around the team is unmatched, and it feels like they could beat any team in the entire league.
If you were to ask Lions fans 4 weeks ago, however, a good portion of them would be ready to move on from Dan Campbell. Detroit was sitting at a 1-6 record on the morning of the 6th of November, and now they are only 2 games under 500. They mostly control their own destiny, as it seems a playoff north is completely within their realm if they win the rest of their games.
They basically lost the margin for error when Josh Allen and the Bills defeated them on thanksgiving. The loss was extremely heartbreaking, especially with all the momentum they had going into that game. The āLions of oldā would have absolutely snowballed into a poor performance last week against the Jaguars. There is no need to emphasize how big the win over Jacksonville was for the franchise, as itās been said over and over again by any media member covering the Lions.
Detroit is favored this coming Sunday against a team that has 5 more wins than them. At this point in the season, every game is a must win. But this game is the one that will be Dan Campbells biggest test in his entire coaching career. If they win versus the Vikings, they only have 1 game left on the schedule facing a team with a winning record.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Lions could beat any team in the league right now, and they showed that on thanksgiving. The turnaround this season has convinced the fanbase to believe in Campbell, no matter how this season finishes. And even if Detroit does miss the playoffs, there is legit playoff expectations in 2023. They would have 2 top 15 picks in the upcoming draft, and a potential top 3 pick with the Rams implosion this year. For the first time in a while, the future is bright in Detroit.
