It's been a tough week for the Detroit Lions. Not only did the team lose to the Buffalo Bills, but they were decimated by more untimely injuries, leading to a turn in the court of public opinion.
Once Super Bowl favorites, many nationally and within the fanbase are leaving the Lions for dead, assuming they can no longer reach their ultimate goal. It's a ridiculous notion Dan Campbell has powerfully pushed back on a few times already.
Fortunately, it doesn't seem as if the players have been negatively impacted by the outside chatter as they prepare for another key divisional battle against the Chicago Bears in Week 16. Jameson Williams left no doubt as to where the mindset of his teammates is.
"I really don't see the noise. I think the whole game plan for us is just to bounce back and focus up on Chicago this week. I'm pretty sure nobody in the locker room is worried about what people are saying or even seeing it because we are just so focused right now."
Williams' response is a mature one which shows the growth spurt he has undergone within Detroit's locker room. In the past, he may have allowed himself to give in to some of the outside noise or lose focus, but right now, it's full speed ahead.
If the Lions have Williams this locked-in, it shows where the mindset of their entire roster is following the biggest bit of adversity they have seen this season.
Jameson Williams explains why Lions find a way to bounce back from losses
It's been two years since the Lions have lost back-to-back games, a feat which might be more impressive than any elongated winning streak. After a loss, the Lions have been able to halt negative momentum. Williams had some reasoning behind that.
"Just because it's a loss. I'm pretty sure at the beginning of the season, everybody's got a goal. If you can make it through a season without losing a game, that would be big, but it's hard to win a game even though some teams do it a lot. It's hard to win NFL games no matter what team is in front of you (or) what coach is on the other sideline. So, we're just trying to make it big for us to bounce back and get back on our winning track."
While the focus has been on maintaining the standard most of the season, now, the goal revolves around starting a new winning streak. Williams and the Lions have done it before and look prepared to do it.