How did the culture change in Detroit?

After more than 30 years of failures and disappointments, detroit lions They won the playoff game again. During that time they have seen two Hall of Fame players retire without excelling in the postseason, the first 0-16 mark and title in NFL history. Matthew Stafford As soon as he wore another uniform.

The Lions defeated Stafford and the Rams 24–23 that night, giving fans a 32-year wait. With an electrical environment that reached 118 decibels (similar to an airplane turbine).and statistics like Barry Sanders, Calvin Johnson and Eminem On Tribune. But at that time it took three years to build.

Lions, laughing stock of the NFL

Despite being one of the oldest NFL franchises, the Lions have had little success throughout their history. Detroit is one of four teams that have never reached the Super Bowl. In fact, their only National Conference Championship game was in the 1991 season, when they were defeated by Washington 41–10.

Since then he has had to endure some moments of infamy that have become the hallmark of the franchise. Among them, the most remembered are the following:

• On 27 July 1999, barry sanders At the age of 31, he announced his retirement without any prior notice. Sanders was 1,458 yards away from breaking the all-time mark. walter payton,

• In the 2008 season, the Lions will become First team to lose all 16 games in a season.

• That same year, in a duel against the Minnesota Vikings, dan orlowski When he felt pressure from Jared Allen he ran alone out of his own end zone. Minnesota would win by a score of 12–10. That protection made a difference.

• The Lions lost the game in incredible fashion. From Justin Tucker Kicking the longest field goal (66 yards) in history in 2021 Aaron Rodgers’ 2015 “Hail Mary” before a penalty on the previous game, among other incredible losses.

Continue reading story

arrival of a different coach

Three years ago, in the presentation of Daniel Campbell As head coach of the Lions, some viewed him with optimism. After all, Campbell had little success as a player, and his coaching credentials weren’t very special either.

After five years on the Miami Dolphins staff, including a 5–7 record as interim head coach in 2015, and four years as tight ends coach and assistant head coach with the New Orleans Saints, Detroit acquired him from their franchise. Searched for a change in fate. ,

At the highly regarded welcoming press conference, many remained skeptical of his ability to lead the team. How many coaches before or after Campbell used phrases like “We’ll kick you” or “We’ll bust your kneecaps”?

Their style on the field is the same, aggressive. No coach has played as many fourth down games as the Lions.But it seems that the team has created the same identity from the board to the field.

building a contender

What did Dan bring with the general manager, Brad Holmes It was a plan. Detroit opted for a new rebuild, but this time through the draft they were willing to put the team first and usher in a new culture of the club.

Holmes traded veteran Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams Jared Goff Joe no longer considered himself on the staff in Los Angeles. In Detroit, the University of California graduate has resumed his career and has become the face of Detroit’s offense.

They also attracted some big free agents, including CJ Gardner-Johnson, Cam Sutton and David Montgomery, who have contributed on both sides of the ball. The coaching staff has two coordinators on the rise: Brian Johnson on offense and Aaron Glenn, who may be sought as head coach once the season ends.

Talent and youth for lions

However, the draft has been their main source of talent. Holmes has been right in selections like Penei Sewell, Amon Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, Jahmir Gibbs, Aidan Hutchinson and Brian Branch, among others. Of the 23 players selected by Holmes and Campbell, 22 are still with the Lions and contribute the majority on the field.

St. Brown and Sewell were first team All-Pro selections this year, while rookie tight end LaPorta was a second team selection. Laporta has had a historic season and is one of Goff’s favorite weapons. Branch is a candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year, while Hutchinson has become a nightmare for opposing offenses.

The Lions chose a different path, away from offensive “gurus” or quick solutions through free agency, and everything indicates that there is a bright future in Detroit after a long wait.

You may also be interested. on video

Viva Mexico: this is the last straw that thieves steal from the windows of CDMX