Detroit Rock City
God Of Thunder
Seems like everyone is drinking the Dan Campbell Kool-Aid in 2023. He’s currently betting favorite to win Coach of the Year award. And his 2023 Detroit Lions team are short odds favorites to win the NFC North too. They’re also third on the list of potential NFC champions, only behind the 49ers and the Cowboys!
Obviously, the Hard Knocks cameras boosted Detroit’s profile not to mention their popularity. They showed what a thoroughly decent human Campbell is, not to mention a great motivator. Who wouldn’t want to play for him? But is the Lions destiny really a fait accompli?
Great Expectations
Relatively speaking they do have a favorable 2023 schedule, only five teams have fewer miles to travel further than the 2023 Detroit Lions. And, again, only five NFC teams face easier opponents (based on strength of schedule calculated according to 2022 team records). That explains why bookmakers are edging toward a team who finished the 2022 season by winning eight of their last 10 games. What could possibly go wrong, you ask?
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Deuce
What indeed. Well, the team who ended the season strongly has been through a few changes since January 8th. One of the stars of the Hard Knocks series Duce Staley has left, he was the Detroit Lions assistant head coach and running backs coach in 2021 and 2022. He will now carry out that job for Frank Reich in Carolina. Scottie Montgomery steps into Staley’s shoes. Montgomery was the Colts running backs coach in 2023 and 2022, but Staley will be missed.
Magic Touch
Former Panthers, Broncos and Bears head coach John Fox (he must really like animals, eh?) is the Lions’ new “Senior defensive assistant”. Fox has won 141 NFL games as a head coach and brings 45 years of coaching experience with him. That has to be a positive.
Nothin’ To Lose
There are some other new coaches too and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Although they may take time to develop relationships and adapt to their new surroundings. SBNation reported the Lions were a destination for coaches in 2023. Two of the coaches worked on the staff in 2022 but now have official titles.
Flaming Youth
J.T Barrett becomes the assistant quarterbacks coach, working with Mark Brunell who he helped out last year. Barrett is only 28 years old and won the Griese-Brees Quarterback of the year award three times. That award is given to the best quarterback in the Big Ten conference, other recipients include Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and C.J Stroud. Barrett and new assistant linebackers coach Shaun Dion Hamilton will add some youthful exuberance to the coaching setup. Hamilton is 27 and was a Lions player in 2021.
Another former Lions player Dre Bly becomes the new cornerbacks coach in Detroit, and he’s got plenty of energy too.
Two Sides of The Coin
All good so far then? Yes, but (and it’s a big but) Jim Hostler is the new “Senior offensive coordinator”. Hostler brings a rather red flag along with him. He was the wide receiver coach in Carolina in 2019, the season Ron Rivera was fired. He was also passing game coordinator in Green Bay in 2018 when Mike McCarthy was fired. And back in 2014 Hostler was “senior offensive coordinator” at the Bills. At the end of that season Doug Marrone decided to opt out of his contract. Things always seem to get interesting when Hostler is around.
Love ‘Em And Leave ‘Em
On the field there have been a number of changes too. There’s a completely new running backs room for a start. Jamaal Williams, who scored 33% of the 2023 Detroit Lions’ touchdowns last season, is replaced by David Montgomery. Montgomery scored five rushing touchdowns last season compared to Williams’ 17. D’Andre Swift was traded to Philadelphia after the Lions drafted Jahmyr Gibbs. Gibbs scored 10 touchdowns for Alabama last season, so he knows his way to the endzone. There’s always an element of risk relying on rookies though, especially at skill positions.
We Are One
There will be a new feel to the defensive backfield too. Deshon Elliott is now in Miami, Jeff Okudha was traded to Atlanta. Bobby Price, Juju Hughes, Mike Hughes and Amani Oruwariye all left too, but they only started a combined 12 games in 2022. They are replaced by C.J Gardner-Johnson, Cameron Sutton, Emanuel Mosely and rookie Brian Branch. As Campbell pointed out the Lions have “upgraded” but with that many different players in one place chemistry and communication will be an issue, at least to begin with. The first week or two of this season may just be a bedding in period.
Not For the Innocent
The 2023 season didn’t get off to the smoothest start in Detroit, with four players being suspended by the NFL for betting. There were some reports that there might be more to come too. It’s been a very active offseason in the NFC North. It seems unlikely anyone will need to win 13 games to run out champions like the Vikings did in 2022. There’s no Dalvin Cook in Minnesota, Aaron Rodgers isn’t even in the same conference anymore and the Bears have been busy too. Da Bears signed 13 free agents, drafted 10 rookies and signed 17 undrafted free agents; the Lions have been positively temperate in comparison. There’s plenty of reason for Detroit Lions fans to be optimistic headed into the 2023 season, but the only certainty in the NFL is that nothing is ever straightforward.
Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images
