For Dan Campbell, it feels like last year again: doubt on the outside, belief within. Which is just the way he likes it. While the Hype Train lost a few passengers after the Lions' Week 2 loss to the Seahawks, the team is still on track.
"I hate losing, but I love this," Campbell said Wednesday. "I just feel like this is what we’re all about. We’re back to reality, we’re back in the mud. It’s doom and gloom outside of this building and man, let’s just hunker down and go to work."
The vibes around the Lions have shifted quickly. A week ago, they were the talk of the NFL after taking down the defending champs in the season opener. Now they're trying to prove it wasn't a fluke, with an injury-riddled roster and the 2-0 Falcons coming to town. As co-captain Penei Sewell said Monday, "Now that we had that loss and everybody had that taste in their mouth, it sets us up to see what kind of team we are. And we’re about to find out."
Last season, the Lions found out they were pretty resilient. They kept their heads after a 1-6 start and rebounded with an 8-2 finish. Along the way, they embodied the word splashed all over the walls in Allen Park: Grit. They also proved their critics wrong. This year, they have projections to prove right.
"I hope the guys come in with that same mindset of where we were a year ago," said Sewell. "It’s just different now. There’s too many people riding the wave, there's too many people talking. For myself, that never bothers me. No offense, I don’t give a damn what y’all say. I think the team’s just gotta humble back and go back to the drawing board. It’s just us, us against everybody. We keep that same mindset."
In Campbell's words, the Lions need to "get back to what we do well." He felt they strayed a little bit from their identity in Week 2, perhaps spending too much time thinking about the opponent. In doing so, they lost sight of their own strengths, the strengths that fueled their turnaround last season. That was Campbell's message to his players Wednesday morning, that it's less about the Falcons this week and more "about us."
"We gotta establish our identity," Campbell said. "If that’s our focus and the way we attack it, everything else will fall right into place. Let’s get back to all those things we preach: the finish, the population to the football, striking the football, biting the ball. And offensively, finishing in a dominating position."
If they don't do that against the Falcons, who want to run the ball down your throat, the doubt will only increase.
"I know our guys, I know our coaches and this is challenge accepted," said Campbell. "So I just feel really good, I do. I know the opponent coming in and if we don’t get back to our identity, this team will take your soul. So that’s the motivation."