Whenever it comes up, and it surely comes up more often than he'd like (as in, at all), Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes firmly dismisses any idea the team is in a "Super Bowl window."
That dismissal generally lands as a built-in excuse to not make notable, all-in type moves, as if rewarding players you drafted and at least attempting to add notable talent from outside the organization can't co-exist.
Other teams have shown those two things can co-exist, and Holmes' recent record shows he shouldn't cling to draft picks like he does. Mix those recent draft misses with the lack of notable effort to add talent in free agency, or dare we say trades, and you get a roster that is deficient in some areas while also lacking depth.
After the NFC Championship Game loss to the San Francisco 49ers to close the 2023 season, Lions head coach Dan Campbell acknowledged it may have been their "only shot" to get to or win a Super Bowl. He pulled back by saying he believed the window was still open, as he has also said since, but the manifestation elements of those initial words has lingered.
The Lions were outdone by the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, as a slow start for the offense and a defense in disarray combined to create a loss the score didn't reflect the margin of. There are plenty of questions worth asking, short and long-term, with Holmes and defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard the primary subjects of the inquiries.
NFL analyst puts himself on Brad Holmes' naughty list with comments after loss to Bills
The day after the Lions' loss to the Bills, on "Get Up", ESPN analyst Harry Douglas carried the big picture vibe a lot of people outside Allen Park might be feeling.
"I think the margin for error is very, very thin when it comes to this football team", Douglas said. "And yes, they're missing guys on the back end in their secondary, but they're missing pieces on their defensive line. And I do believe they've missed their Super Bowl window."
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Douglas then referenced the NFC Championship Game loss, where the Lions blew a 24-7 halftime lead, and Campbell's aforementioned words about that possibly being their only shot. Host Mike Greenberg added his two cents, noting the possibility other teams in the NFC have simply surpassed the Lions over the last couple seasons.
Christmas is over three months away. But Douglas has already put himself at the top of Holmes' naughty list by not only suggesting a Super Bowl window has existed for the Lions, but also saying they've missed it after a rough loss to the Bills. The first point is absolutely true, despite Holmes' protests, while the second is becoming difficult to argue against.
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