Dan Campbell praises Detroit Lions fans for rabid preseason passion

Typically, NFL preseason games don't generate much fan excitement, but the Detroit Lions don't have a typical fanbase right now.

Ever since the end of the 2022 season, there has been a thirst for all things Lions. That thirst carried right into Week 1 of the preseason, with fans packing Ford Field and showing their excitement for football's return.

Dan Campbell understood what he was watching in the moment, and was very happy seeing fans show out the way they did. Speaking to the media on Monday, the Lions' head coach gave the fans a shout out for their passion.

"Our fans were unbelievable the other night. For a preseason game. You're telling your young players, your rookies, it's the first one, (first) NFL game and it ought to be a pretty good atmosphere. But my God I didn't expect that. I don't think any of them did. That's unbelievable. That's a packed house for preseason. It was awesome. They were using silent count on offense. In a preseason game. It certainly helps. So that was awesome."

- Dan Campbell

Announced attendance for the game was 48,872, and Ford Field's capacity is 65,000 That's a pretty good showing for Lions fans in the first preseason game of the year, especially with little guarantee of seeing any big-name starters playing meaningful minutes.

The performance by the fans simply shows the anticipation for the team just weeks after selling out their season tickets for the first time in Ford Field history. Clearly, Campbell was appreciative of their early efforts.

Phil Simms applauds Detroit Lions fans for showing up in preseason

Campbell wasn't the only one watching to see how fans would react. Simms, a former NFL quarterback turned commentator for CBS Sports, saw how Lions fans showed out and gave them some praise on the internet.

As Simms said, the crowds were great in both Detroit and Cincinnati for their preseason openers.

Lions fans will get a chance for an encore performance this weekend, as Detroit hosts the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday. It will be fascinating to see if the crowd brings the same energy and passion they did last week.