The energy is unmistakable.
In Detroit, the synergy between the city and the football team is real.
The excitement surrounding the Lions' divisional playoff game against the Buccaneers on Sunday at Ford Field is as palpable as the price to get into the building is astronomical, with the cheapest walk-in rates hovering around $500 are doing.
This is what happens when a team that has never even made it to the Super Bowl wins its first postseason game in 32 years. During a home game against the Rams last weekend, the noise level reached 133.6 decibels. This is the equivalent of a military jet taking off.
These lions like to cuddle.
Their head coach, Dan Campbell, is a larger-than-life caricature with his bold, stream-of-consciousness attitude of saying whatever is on his mind.
Their quarterback, Jared Goff, was a classic dropout, a former No. 1 overall draft pick who was essentially a throw-in in a trade that sent longtime Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Rams. .
Their team isn't full of commercial stars or longtime Pro Bowlers, but instead is a perfect blend of hard workers, sociopaths, and players and coaches who have paid their dues.
You may remember some of the first words that came out of Campbell's mouth when he was hired before the 2021 season.
“This team will carry the identity of this city,” Campbell said. “And this city was down, but we found a way to get back up. We found a way to overcome adversity. So this team is going to be built on that — we're going to kick you in the teeth.” We'll kick you, okay, we'll smile at you when you hit us back, and we'll get up when you knock us down, and we'll bite your kneecap off in the process.
“Soon we will be the last ones standing.”
Ray Mickens, a former Jets cornerback and a college teammate of the 47-year-old Campbell at Texas A&M, laughed as he recalled his words from that news conference over the phone Thursday.
“That's him. … That's who he is,” Mickens said. “Energetic. It was funny to hear him say that, but it wasn't off the mark. That's who he is.”
Campbell of Texas A&M. AP
Campbell's words were taken by some as the pretentious chatter of a Neanderthal football player (Campbell played for the Giants, Cowboys, Lions and Saints from 1999 to 2009). To some, it seemed difficult to be taken seriously because of the way he spoke.
But we learned that Campbell is much smarter than you might think, a master motivator, and a team builder who knows his stuff. The Lions went 3-13-1 in his first year. Last season, after starting 1-6, they won eight of their last 10 games and narrowly missed the playoffs with a 9-8 record.
They won the NFC North this season, but it wasn't close.
Mr. Campbell's statements should be taken seriously.
“He doesn't come across as a polished, suit-and-tie type of coach,” Mickens said. “He's a blue-collar guy. Some people might have thought, 'Hey, is this the place to say that?' It's against the norm. Don't talk like you talk in the locker room. But Dan is Dan. He's going to talk to the media the same way he talks to the players.”
Campbell's offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, and defensive coordinator, Aaron Glenn, are both strong candidates for the head coaching position, and both are in the opening round after the Lions didn't even make the playoffs last season. I had an interview.
Mickens is good friends with Glenn, a fellow cornerback from Texas A&M who also played with the Jets, and believes Glenn's winding path to get here is a perfect representation of the team he coaches. ing.
“After we finished playing, he had a small business empire, some real estate, construction, and he had some food and beverage businesses. That's the situation I'm in. And I We always talked about coaching,” Mickens said. “We talk about [Bill] I used to talk to Belichick and he said, “Hey, someday I'm going to be a coach, I'm going to be a scout.''
“He started at the bottom. I'm very proud of him and I'm very proud of Dan Campbell. I know the path he took to get there, that's what I'm most proud of. He started driving from Houston to Iowa and Oklahoma to see his kids.
“When I saw him with the Detroit Lions, the image I had of him was him scouting in a Ford Explorer. I'll never forget him stopping at my house in Dallas on his way to Iowa. That's the emotional part for me.”
Sunday in Detroit will be an emotional day.
