Lions Dan Campbell Sets Realistic Expectations for 2024
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell sets realistic expectations for 2024 NFL season.
Transcript
00:00 Don't just think you're going to get back to the NFC Championship game next season.
00:03 That's what Dan Campbell basically said in his postgame presser there on Sunday after that 49ers devastating loss.
00:09 John, what do you make of that being the case? Those words coming from the Lions third year head and back.
00:15 Yeah, and I think you caught Dan Campbell at that moment in a raw moment, especially having coached in a very tight contest,
00:23 a game that had very big momentum swings, just catching Dan Campbell 10 minutes after that contest.
00:29 But I do think that he's candid. He's always been honest.
00:32 And I think what he said was in its total context was the fact that he told his team this might have been their shot to win it all.
00:39 And in the NFL, you never know. There are no guarantees that the Detroit Lions get back to the same spot or even advance.
00:47 And it's so tough. It's a year to year league. I know in other sports and even in Detroit sports,
00:52 everybody's seen teams that have kind of had that build and have kind of had a little bit of adversity and then come back and won.
01:00 Several of the teams in Detroit had that trajectory. In the NFL, it's a little different based on turnover, coaching staffs,
01:08 you know, momentum injuries based on the nature of the violent sport.
01:12 But look, Vito, based on what you look at in terms of teams that sustain success, the Detroit Lions have the pieces in place.
01:21 They potentially could have their coordinators return. They have a head coach that understands the game inside and out.
01:27 They have a starting quarterback that's hungry and has a lot to prove.
01:30 They have a lot of young players that have the us versus the world mentality.
01:35 So this taste, getting that close to within 30 minutes of advancing to the big game and losing,
01:43 I think really will open the eyes of the roster and make them motivated to compete.
01:48 But yeah, I think Dan Campbell set realistic expectations that if the work is not done, if the challenges are not met,
01:56 the Lions have a first place schedule next year and they're going to go on the road to face teams like Houston, Dallas, the 49ers.
02:02 So that schedule is going to be tough and they're going to face a gauntlet of really good football teams,
02:08 especially the teams in the division that are all going to improve.
02:12 So there's no guarantee that the Detroit Lions are going to compete for the Lombardi Trophy next year.
02:17 But I will say this, to give the fan base hope, all the pieces are in place for this football team to make another run.
02:24 But in the end, Vito, in the National Football League, like Dan Campbell said, it's going to be twice as hard to be able to sustain success.
02:32 But this football team seems like a group that will meet up to expectations and will put in the work to give themselves the opportunity to get there again.
02:41 John, as you said, it doesn't matter how much talent you have on both sides of the football, you still have to go out there and earn it too.
02:46 it too. John, thanks for all the time.