Ever since Dan Campbell arrived in Detroit, the Lions have been on a steady path of improvement. They went just 3-13-1 in his first season, but quickly improved to 9-8 and narrowly missed the playoffs in his second year, then 12-5 and won the franchise's first playoff game since 1991 in Year 3.
Entering the 2024 season, the Lions are widely considered one of the best teams in the NFC, and among the favorites to win the Super Bowl. At Caesars Sportsbook, their +500 odds check in behind only those of the 49ers, Chiefs and Ravens.
But Campbell doesn't want his team to get complacent. He wants them to be more disciplined and have a heightened level of awareness. To drive home that point, Campbell used an interesting comparison.
"Those are the little things where we can really grow offensively and defensively. Like the awareness of who's in, what's the situation," Campbell said, via All Lions. "We know what it says on paper, but we can't do the Ron Burgundy. We can't just continue to read off the teleprompter. And that's the next step, that is the next evolution, because that's what San Francisco did to us, quite frankly. They played at a different level."
What mindset does he want from his team during the upcoming season? One focused on winning "the whole enchilada," which presumably means the Super Bowl.
"I think just remember what are we playing for? Each individual, what do you want? Like, what do you want out of this year?" Campbell said. "What do you want it to look like when we're sitting here and it's February? Where is your mind? And so, think about that and let's work backwards from there. That'll be the message."
Given where the Lions are heading into the season, it's a message that makes sense. And that's quite a change for a franchise that hasn't entered a season as a true contender in a very, very long time.
