It has been a journey, but the Detroit Lions (3-1) under head coach Dan Campbell are rounding into what looks like the best team in the NFC North. In the past 23 seasons, Detroit has finished above .500 just once in back-to-back seasons but it looks like they are about to do it for the second time this year. Campbell has the team playing terrific football in all three facets, offense, defense and special teams as all the young talent they have collected over the years has become a team.
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In three years Campbell has a combined coaching record of 15-22-1, but has gone 15-12-0 since Week 12 of the 2021 season. The fire, energy and personality Campbell has infused into this team has pushed the team to the top of the standings in the NFC North and tied for the third-best record in the NFC through one-quarter of the season.
This season Detroit has started the season as one of the better two-way teams in the league. They are ranked eighth in points per game and 13th in points allowed, with the 11th toughest schedule.
On the offensive end, the team has created a balance between the passing game and the running game. Through four games the team has 131 pass attempts with six touchdowns and 50 first downs. The running attack has been right there with 135 running attempts, six touchdowns and 31 first downs.
That level of balance is perfect for a team with a game-managing type quarterback in Jared Goff and several playmakers across the skill positions.
Goff has found a nice role in this offense for Detroit under Ben Johnson, who might be a head coach in the very near future. This season Goff is one of just six quarterbacks in the first quarter of the season that is top 10 in both passing yards (1,029) and completion percentage (68.5%. He is a mature, veteran quarterback who has allowed Amon-Ra St. Brown, David Montgomery, Josh Reynolds and rookies Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta to shine.
What has allowed Detroit to go from a “fun idea of a good team in the future” to a real team is its defense.
Last year Detroit was 28th in points allowed, fifth worst in the league, which held the team back from making the playoffs. They allowed 24+ points in 10 games, going 2-8 in those games.
This season the team has given up more than 20 points in just one game, an overtime loss (37-31) to the Seattle Seahawks.
In the other three games this season, against the Kansas City Chiefs (21-20), Atlanta Falcons (20-6) and Green Bay Packers (34-20) they have only allowed a total of 46 points. The team has allowed just 280.5 yards per game, fourth in the NFL with the best rush defense allowing just 60.8 yards per game.
Aiden Hutchinson anchors the defense with 3.5 sacks and constant pressure on the quarterback while stunting the running game for opponents.
The linebacking core of Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes and Jack Campbell bridge the pass rush and the defensive backs that have ball-hawk Jerry Jacobs along with Brian Branch, Tracy Walker III and Cameron Sutton form one of the best young defenses in the league.
Once you crack the top 15 in offense and defense for a sustained portion of the season, you have crossed the invisible line as a real playoff-caliber team. This season Detroit is joined by the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams as teams playing that well on both sides of the ball through one quarter of the season in the NFC.
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