The football world loves the Detroit Lions right now. Well, probably not fans of other NFC playoff teams, but pretty much everyone else is caught up in the dramatic rise of the downtrodden Lions under dynamic head coach Dan Campbell.
Last year was the appetizer. Detroit scoring two victories in the same postseason for the first time in the Super Bowl era installed the Lions as something of media darlings.
Earning the No. 1 seed with a 15-2 season proved that last year wasn’t a fluke but rather the start of something that could be very special for a long time. And with that comes the national media praise, scrutiny, veneration and venom — depending on what’s selling best that particular day.
For his part, Campbell seems unfazed by all the sudden popularity and fanfare surrounding his team. He was asked about all the extra attention brimming from the outside forces.
“No, we’ve had attention for four years here,” Campbell said. “I mean, there’s been more stuff that’s been made out, that’s been built one way, we’ve been so good, we’ve been so bad, we’re a laughingstock, now we’re great, and it’s just been this rollercoaster of ups and downs, and it’s the next week of it, you know what I mean?”
Campbell continued,
“And so, this is nothing new that we’re in, this is nothing new for me, for the coaches, for the players. We’re in the middle of the circus, man, and it’s about time to perform. That’s the world we’re in.”
So far, Campbell has proven a very capable ringmaster. His Lions host the Washington Commanders in the NFC Divisional Round this Saturday at 8 p.m. in Ford Field. The Lions are favored by more than a touchdown.