As the Detroit Lions gear up for the 2024 season with soaring expectations, head coach Dan Campbell is sending a clear message to his team: don’t get distracted by Super Bowl talk in September.
The Lions came extremely close to reaching their first Super Bowl last season, falling just short in the NFC Championship Game.
With a revamped secondary and a hunger to get over the hump, many believe Detroit is primed for another deep playoff run. But Campbell wants his players to stay focused on the process rather than obsessing over the big prize.
When asked if his team should be thinking about winning the Super Bowl this year, Campbell gave a straightforward response.
“No … Well, it’s funny because I just told the team, ‘Let’s not talk about it anymore,’” Campbell said.
He chuckled and clarified that it’s no secret winning the Super Bowl is the ultimate goal, but he doesn’t want it to become a distraction for the team.
“Well, no, and it’s just this – of course we do, who doesn’t? But we’re to the point now where that doesn’t matter anymore,” Campbell said. “Like what does that do? It does nothing.”
Campbell emphasized that the road to the Super Bowl is built on smaller steps, starting with their division.
“Now it’s about the steps to get there. The first step is winning your division, because that gives you a home playoff game,” he said.
“Once you have that, it’s about seeding. You win key head-to-heads, and suddenly you’re the three seed, maybe the two seed, or even the one seed. So, we’ve got to win the division, man. It starts with this first game.”
That first test comes against the Los Angeles Rams in a Sunday Night Football showdown at Ford Field – a rematch of last year’s divisional playoff.
Besides the Lions and Rams being two of the best teams in the league, we of course have the Stafford-Goff storyline once again.
While Campbell preaches focus and patience, some Detroit fans can’t help but get a little ahead of themselves.
In a way, you can’t blame them. We all know the tortured history of the Lions. But finally, after all these decades, Detroit has a legitimate chance to win the Super Bowl, and the window is wide open.
Speaking of which, ESPN’s Seth Walder published a simulation of the 2024 NFL season using ESPN’s Football Power Index, and the results were a dream scenario for Lions fans.
In the simulation, Detroit finishes with a 13-4 record, clinching the NFC North and securing the No. 1 seed in the NFC. From there, the Lions roll through the playoffs, defeating the Bears in the divisional round and the 49ers in the NFC Championship.
The Lions advance to their first Super Bowl in franchise history, but they face a daunting opponent in the Kansas City Chiefs, aiming for an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl title.
The simulation reaches a thrilling climax with Detroit trailing 28-14 in the fourth quarter. A bold two-point conversion call by Campbell and a late defensive stand propel the Lions to a stunning comeback victory, winning 29-28 and hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
Of course, all of that means absolutely nothing. NFL games are not played on paper or computers.
Having said that, what are your thoughts on the Lions this year?
Do you like the approach Campbell is taking to have the team as focused and prepared as possible on the task at hand???