Ok, so hear me out on this one. I know the record is bad. I know there’s not a lot of “elite” talent on this roster. But what this team has is a whole lot of heart. And that friends, is why this Lions fan, and maybe some others, have some optimism coming out of what, at least record-wise, is considered a disappointing season.

Week 15’s 30-12 win over the Arizona Cardinals was the cherry on top of a cake that Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes have been baking from scratch since Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia went full-on toddler birthday smash cake style with a roster that had not long before had a winning record and playoff appearance under Jim Caldwell. Yes, there were a lot of cake references there but I’ve been watching a lot of the Great British Baking Show and I make no apologies for said references. It’s a fantastic show. They also have a new holiday special out and it’ll warm your heart.

Dan Campbell Is The Human Version of The Kool-Aid Man

MCDC has made for his fair share of interesting headlines since being hired. Whether it’s biting knee caps or crying in a post-game press conference, he has shown every inch of his personality to the fans and the press. It would appear that he has done the same thing to his players as well, which is a very big swing from the previous coach who shall not be named. And that has transferred into a new attitude coming out of the Lions locker room. I don’t pretend that this team is “good” but outside of 5 or 6 losses that they were dominated in over the first 15 weeks of the season they’ve been competitive, often until the last moments of the games. One could make the argument that they could and should have at least 3 to 4 more wins. As far as bad NFL teams go they are better than most of the teams that are keeping them company at the bottom of the standings.

Unlike his predecessor or the mess that has unfolded with Urban Meyer in Jacksonville (which shocked absolutely no one), there is some encouragement to be found in the way Dan Campbell has inspired his team to fight and take on the gritty blue-collar persona that not just he, but the city of Detroit represents. There is no doubt in my mind that his players want to win for him as much or more than they do for themselves. They clearly take the Detroit v. Everybody mentality very much to heart.

Much like the 18 miles uphill in the snow that our parents and grandparents allegedly walked to school every day, the road back to even average for the Lions will take some time to travel. You could say the same for the Detroit professional sports scene in general, as all 4 major teams are still in the early stages of re-building. While the Tigers and Red Wings seem to be leading the pack, the Pistons still have a ways to go, and the Lions will have to prove that they aren’t just the S(ame) O(ld) L(ions) with just one dominating win, and actually start stringing wins together. But I think they just might have found the right guy to lead the way. I guess we will have to wait and see, but this Lions fan feels slightly, if not a bit foolishly, optimistic.