Detroit Lions ‘grit’ can propel team to special season

If you aren’t convinced that the Detroit Lions are a gritty team after their victory Sunday night against the Houston Texans, I don’t know what to tell you. Unquestionably, it was as gritty a performance as they come. 

Dan Campbell’s team had no business being in the Week 10 affair, after a disastrous first half that saw the previously peerless Jared Goff throw three picks and Detroit go down by 16 points. These Lions, however, are never quite out of a game.

They always feel like they have a chance to prevail, no matter how bleak the outlook may be. And Sunday, despite the improbable odds (a 7.9 percent chance of victory to start the second half), was absolutely no different. 

Goff & Co. put the disappointing opening half behind them, and stormed all the way back. They proceeded to score 19 unanswered points, aided by two 50-plus-yard field goals from Jake Bates, to complete the comeback victory for the ages. 

The veteran signal-caller threw two more picks in the second half, setting the stage for the first victory since 1970 by a team which trailed by 15-plus points and was responsible for five interceptions. No deficit is too big for Campbell’s resilient bunch, which extended its win streak to seven games and improved to 8-1 on the season (Detroit’s best start to a season since 1954).

📈📈📈 pic.twitter.com/bboMuco5Gs

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) November 11, 2024These Detroit Lions are vastly different than the “SOL” version of yesteryear, which seemingly found a new way to lose on a weekly basis. These Lions, led by their never-say-never head coach, are wired differently and have a knack for finding new ways to win every week, even when their performance is less than optimal (like on Sunday). 

A big reason for that is the fact that these Lions have a swagger to them that can not be artificially created. It’s a part of the team’s very fabric, and arguably no player is a better example of that than Goff. Even as he struggled against the Texans, his confidence in himself and his ability to lead Detroit to victory never wavered.

“I didn’t feel like I was playing all that bad,” Goff said of his five-interception performance after the game. “I was seeing it well. Tipped balls. Ultimately, I have to take care of the ball, but they were making some good plays and some things weren’t going our way. I think ultimately, I never lost confidence, because I felt like I was doing what I was supposed to do on most of those plays.”

With Goff exerting an effort that was far from his “A game,” Detroit needed its defense to step up, and boy, did it do so, especially in the second half. 

Spearheaded by the two-interception effort of veteran cornerback Carlton Davis, the Lions shut out C.J. Stroud and the Texans in the final half of play. They limited Houston to a six-for-15 conversion rate on third down, and forced four punts.

Plus, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn’s unit sacked Stroud four times, and held the Texans’ ground game to 56 yards on 28 carries (a measly two yards per carry). And, as part of the stout run defense effort, it kept Joe Mixon in check, limiting Houston’s lead back to just 46 yards on 25 carries (a lowly 1.8 yards per carry).

Along with the big leg of Bates, Glenn’s defense carried the Lions to the three-point win in Houston. This latest win by Campbell’s squad – the organization’s fifth straight victory on the road – is yet further proof of the team’s firm belief in its ability to beat anybody, anywhere. 

“It’s letting us know a lot about us as a team,” Davis said of the Lions’ present seven-game win streak. “Being able to go on the road against tough opponents. The best opponents in the league right now, in my opinion, and getting the W in their home stadium is huge for us. It’s a huge confidence boost.”

Undeniably, Detroit produced a less-than-stellar effort Sunday, and snatched a victory from the hands of the Texans, the better team for the majority of the Week 10 contest.

And, as Campbell told reporters after the game, “When it’s not your day and you can still win, that’s a sign of a good team.” 

It absolutely is, and the Lions aren’t just a good team. They are a very good team, equipped with the necessary resolve and will to win to finish the regular season strong and make a deep run in the postseason.

“Like every week, for us, we just gotta stay focused on what’s right in front of us. And, I really believe if we do that, we’re always gonna have a really good shot. The odds are gonna favor us that we can win, every week,” Campbell expressed. “Listen, we’re in it now. There’s no byes, there’s no nothing. I mean, we’re in the meat of it. So just head down and we just keep plowing forward.”

It’s crystal clear that Campbell & Co. have an insatiable desire to win every game on their schedule, no matter the magnitude of the contest. And collectively, the team has one goal in mind: hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at season’s end. Anything short of that would be deemed a failure.

And presently, it appears to be an achievable feat for the Lions, a team with just the right mix of talent and grit to finish the 2024 campaign as Super Bowl champions.