Lions’ hard truth, as stated by Dan Campbell: “May have been our only shot.”

 

 

 

The head coach of the Detroit Lions, Dan Campbell, is aware that getting to the NFC Championship game next year will be far harder than it was this one.

Following the Lions’ Sunday defeat to the 49ers in San Francisco, Campbell was frank about the realities of winning once you’ve achieved your goal.

“This could have been our only chance; I told those men,” Campbell remarked following the match. “Do I believe that? No. Do I think that is true? No. But I am aware of how difficult it is to get here. I know this for sure. Next year, it will be twice as difficult to reach this position as it was this year. That’s how things really are. And this is a totally different thing if we don’t have the same appetite and effort.”

 

The Lions had been without a winning postseason game for almost thirty years, but after showcasing their abilities in this year’s playoffs, they are now expected to win big come next season. Campbell appears to be up to the challenge and is aware of that goal.

This season, the Lions made great progress. After a strong 9-8 campaign the previous year, they developed into one of the league’s top teams this year, winning the NFC North and sending shockwaves through the NFL.

Teams will know exactly what to anticipate from Detroit the following year, which, in Campbell’s opinion, makes things much more challenging.

“We have no chance of returning here once the offseason rolls around,” Campbell stated. How much better we get, what we contribute, or what we draft doesn’t matter to me. It is unimportant. It won’t be easy. You’re no longer going to be hiding from anybody, and everyone in our division will be loaded back up. Everyone will be vying for your attention.”

No matter how much harder the Lions’ next campaign will be, they may still rejoice over a successful 2023 campaign. Although the story didn’t finish like they had hoped, it did provide a series that hasn’t seen much success this century, some much-needed success.