The Detroit Lions may lose games, but there is reason to be excited

Change is in the air

A friend of mine recently commented that even though the Lions never won consistently, their high-flying offense that was led by Matthew Stafford in the past was exciting.

It’s hard to argue with that point. Truth be told, if Matthew didn’t carry the Lions to victory, they didn’t win. End of story.

The problem was how often the fans would start to believe that it was finally their time to have a winner. How often they believed it was time for the Lions to move into contention. Yet the wheels would either come flying off or we’d find out whatever luck they had wasn’t sustainable.

Normally in Detroit, one side of the ball lags far behind the other. If the offense is good, the defense tends to be bad. On the rare occasions the defense was good, the offense sputtered.

But this is the dawn of a new era and change is in the air.

General manager Brad Holmes appears to be adept at making positive trades and drafting players with talent for the sole goal of building a complete team. For a franchise that is desperately trying to awaken from its 60-year coma, the ability to build a roster that can contend, on both sides of the ball, is essential.

On the field, it is up to the coaching staff to make the most out of what they are given. Starting with the head coach setting the culture. Dan Campbell has won over the locker room already. No matter what, Campbell will be himself. He also allows his players to be themselves while sparking competition.

Campbell’s staff is filled with former players and highly-respected coaches that have accomplished much. They bring energy to the field just like Campbell instigating competition.

Through OTA’s we have seen players working hard with a smile on their face and unity in the locker room that was missing under Matt Patricia.

Things have already changed down at Allen Park. The question is; how much will it change on Sundays this fall?