Two things can be true about this year's Lions: they were worse than last year and so much better. They lost 13 games, something they never did in three seasons under Matt Patricia. And they never played as hard for Patricia as they did this season for Dan Campbell. They never believed in their old coach like they do their new one.
"Man, his energy," D'Andre Swift said of Campbell after the Lions' 37-30 win over the Packers in the season finale. "You could tell he wants to win, and that's the culture he's trying to build here. He's doing a great job getting guys on board. It's just great to play for a guy like that."
Save a few imports from New England, Patricia never got his guys on board in Detroit. He lost many of them with his better-than-you persona as soon as he arrived. He lost more of them with his double standards and his stubborn tactics. He lost the rest of them with his results. Anyway, Patricia is gone and Campbell is here and the Lions are finally showing signs of progress.
After an 0-10-1 start to the season, Detroit won three of its final six games. In the final six games in each of Patricia's three seasons, it never won more than twice. The Lions gave in under their old coach. They stiffened up under their new one. They beat two winning teams in year one under Campbell, same number they beat in three years under Patricia.
"We’ve had so many ups and downs this year that I don’t think we give enough credit to Dan Campbell," Tracy Walker said Sunday. "He’s a hell of a coach. He’s always preparing us, each and every week, to go out and compete against the best of the best. At the end of the day, I feel like things are coming together, and we see that."
Walker revived his career this season under Campbell, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and the rest of Detroit's new coaching staff. The old one nearly killed it. He said the 'biggest difference' in this year's staff is that it listened to the players -- imagine that. Glenn let Walker do what he does best, and the free-ranging safety got back to making plays. Now he's headed for free agency, with an inclination to stay in Detroit. Good coaches have that effect.
"That plays a huge role, for sure," Walker said. "If you don’t agree with your coaching staff, man, that can be so detrimental to your team. I feel like with these coaches, they believe in the players. They understand what it’s like to be a player, first off, so they’re open ears. Sometimes we might not be right as players, but they’re still open to hear it. That’s the biggest thing for me. That was the biggest difference, honestly. I respect these coaches for that, giving me a voice and hearing me out, regardless if I’m right or wrong. And that’s the difference between these coaches. That’s why I respect them the way I do."
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Campbell loaded his staff with former NFL players, and the current ones responded. Aside from a few clunkers, the Lions played tough, inspired football all season. They believed in the plan each week and fought like hell to execute it. When they finally got their first win in Week 13, they were as happy for their head coach as for themselves. Jared Goff leapt into Campbell's arms on the sideline, before the players doused him with water in the locker room.
"I love coach," said star rookie receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. "He's intense. He loves the game. I'm sure you guys can tell from the outside how much he loves the game. After that Vikings win, we were just so happy for him as a head coach to finally get that first win. There were so many points in the season where we were like, 'We love this dude.'"
LeGarrette Blount loved Matt Patricia, or 'Matty P' as he called him. So did Trey Flowers, Danny Amendola and a few of the other ex-Pats Patricia and Bob Quinn brought to Detroit. The rest of the players either tolerated him, feared him or loathed him. These players mean it when they say they love Campbell.
They loved him at first for his spunk, for the persistent bounce in his step. Then they learned to love him for his guts. Campbell went for it on fourth down this season more than any coach in NFL history. He called trick play after trick play to give his team out-manned team every chance to win. And then they learned to love him for his smarts. Campbell is more than just a kneecap-biting ball of fire. He's a football mind. The offense, Jared Goff in particular, made substantial improvements after Campbell took over play-calling from Anthony Lynn in Week 10.
"A lot of the stuff that we were doing in the pass game was great when Dan took over. He's made some other changes and we just had a little heightened urgency in some areas," Goff said. "It really helped and it really helped me."
From day one, the Lions embraced Campbell's message. He said he was "looking for a gritty team," for "guys that are resilient and willing to lay it on the line." He got it. It's true: the Lions won three games this season and finished last in the NFC North for the fourth year in a row. Also true: "There is hope," said Campbell.
The season finale was full of it. The Lions outplayed the first-seed, full-strength Packers in the first half, then rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit in the final five minutes. They put together a go-ahead touchdown drive on offense and sealed the deal with two picks on defense. It was complementary football, and a preview, they hope, of what's to come.
"That’s just what every team’s gotta realize when they play us: you’re gonna get the best of the best of us," said Walker. "We ain’t holding nothing back. We’re going to play ball. You come in here to play the Detroit Lions, don’t think it’s just gonna be a walk in the park. I think that’s what goes around in the league, that because we’re the Detroit Lions, everyone underestimates us because of the past.
"But nah. This is a new team. This is a new foundation that’s being built here. We’re going to continue to grow as a team."