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

A different kind of excitement

Unlike so many of their predecessors, Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell have started building the foundation of these Lions in the trenches.

Despite all the glitz and glamour of high-flying offenses, games are still won at the line of scrimmage. Just look at Tampa Bay’s victory over Kansas City in the Super Bowl LV.

The Bucc’s defensive line ate up the Chiefs’ offensive line and put incredible pressure on Kansas City’s star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The inability of Mahomes to sustain much on offense had less to do with him than it had to do with his protection.

Mahomes was consistently harassed and consequently, it cost the Chiefs the title. Meanwhile, Tom Brady of the Bucs had time to throw and made the most of it.

So while the Lions still have much work to do, it should be exciting to see the evolution of this team this fall. An evolution that at various points will see Dan Campbell’s big boys imposing their will upon opponents.

Is it more exciting than Matthew Stafford’s aerial assaults? Maybe not to the common fan, but when you see the people movers on the line moving people, that’s the gateway to contention.

I’m not saying that the Lions are ready to just completely dominate the trenches, but we should see several signs of it this year. Once Brad Holmes is able to add more play-makers at linebacker, then there should be a definite ability for the defensive front seven to start controlling games.

Again, will this be like the excitement of Stafford throwing the ball all over the field? No, but as the trenches start to flex their muscle, it will be a different kind of excitement. The kind of sustainable progress that a contender can be built upon.

Sure quarterback Jared Goff will have to prove his worth and the receiving corps and secondary will need more talent just like at linebacker, but as these Lions that are being built in the trenches gather momentum and becomes more consistent at imposing their will at the line of scrimmage, the wins should eventually follow.

No one knows for sure how many wins Dan Campbell and his staff will guide the Lions to this fall, but watching the development in the trenches should be exciting for Motor City fans because that will be the foundation of creating sustainable success for the Honolulu Blue and Silver under their new regime.