DETROIT – It’s the first game of the NFL season. In primetime. Against the defending Super Bowl champs. And the MVP.
If the Detroit Lions are serious about being contenders this season, what better chance could there be to prove it?
Whether Travis Kelce and Chris Jones play or not, nobody would hold it against the Lions if they lose on Thursday night. I don’t care if Andy Reid is out there running slant routes, it’s hard to beat Patrick Mahomes, especially at Arrowhead.
But knowing Dan Campbell, Brad Holmes, and the players in that locker room, they aren’t worried about what might happen if they lose.
“Here’s what I do know: This team is going to take on the identity of this city, and this city’s been down and it’s found a way to get up. It’s found a way to overcome adversity.”
That’s one of the many things Campbell said at his introductory press conference. Between all the lunatic stuff about biting kneecaps and how he and Holmes could finish each other’s sentences, Campbell made a promise to the fan base -- a pretty bold one, considering where the franchise had been for the past 50 years.
“We want to be competing for the division championship every year,” Campbell said. “If we’re not shooting for that, then what are we doing?”
I know I wasn’t the only one who laughed at that. I mean, c’mon, the Lions were a joke. A laughingstock. But here we are, less than three years later, and Campbell’s claim doesn’t seem funny, or at all farfetched.
The NFC North isn’t just within reach -- it’s ripe for the taking. The Lions are favored to win the division after going 5-1 against the Vikings, Packers, and Bears last season.
But this team still needs to prove itself. Last year’s 8-2 finish would have meant a whole lot more if the 1-6 start hadn’t derailed the season in the first place. On paper, for the first time in years, the Lions are good enough to host and win a playoff game.
That won’t change with a loss to the Chiefs tonight. But it sure would feel a lot more real if the Lions find a way to win.
Fans of this franchise have been through so much. The historical incompetence of 0-16. The heartbreak of every Aaron Rodgers comeback. The agony of Justin Tucker’s 61-yarder on Monday Night Football or the botched pass interference during the playoffs in Dallas.
A win over the Chiefs would feel like the start of a new era, because honestly, the Lions we all know don’t win games like this. It’s only Week 1 of 18, but for a starving fan base, it’s so much bigger.
The last time we saw the Lions, they were celebrating on the field in Green Bay after eliminating the Packers from the playoffs. That was a game the Lions typically wouldn’t have won, either.
Maybe last season truly was the start of something new, and Campbell is ready to deliver on his promise.
If so, there won’t be a better chance than tonight to prove it.
