“Been at the lowest and I’ve been at the highest and you learn along the way,” said Dan Campbell in January last year when the Lions qualified for the playoffs during his first year as the Lions head coach. He had come a long way at the franchise. Campbell came to the team in 2006 and remained there for 3 seasons. There, he established himself as the best they had, even his teammate Calvin Johnson admitted it!

During the January 9 episode of The Rich Eisen Show, they talked about the 2008 season. Why? It was a depressing season when they lost all 16 games, finishing with a 0-16 win-loss record. The former receiver praised Campbell for his skills as a tight end while revealing his rookie nickname at Lions in 2006 and said, “Dan Campbell had he’s almost like RoboCop when he was out there because he had like this, he did something to his shoulder or something. He had his big old sleeve that he played with and the fact is that you know he was still our best tight end. And he never complained. He just went out there and got his job done.”

His nature has become clear over two years as the Lions HC. Dan Campbell has never backed off from the challenges. He has faced them head-on and led them into back-to-back playoffs. But in his new avatar as the head coach, he wants the Super Bowl ring.

In his last year at the NY Giants in 2009, he didn’t play a single game because of an MCL injury. The irony hit him hard. They won the Super Bowl XLIV but didn’t give him the ring. It must have felt brutal. However, he looks all set to get it this year. With a 15-2 win-loss record, the Lions have locked the number 1 seed and play the divisional game next weekend on January 18 or 19.

The team is relying on their QB, Jared Goff, to lead them. He is carrying enormous expectations and has handled them really well this year. But the weight is increasing with every week.

Dan Campbell’s QB overwhelmed by the fans’ love

Dan Campbell and Jared Goff became fans’ favorites after winning the wildcard game against the Rams in 2024. It was their first playoff win after 1991. This year, they rose above everyone’s expectations. After winning the season ender against the Vikings at Ford Field, fans chanted the QB’s name from the stands. He got emotional and said, “You’re gonna make me emotional, but I love these people, man, they love me, and I’ve found a new home here. It’s been a lot of fun to play for these guys. We got the best fans in the world.”

Fans love Dan Campbell and his players. The Vikings tried to counter the home advantage for the Lions by buying around 1900 tickets totaling $2 million. However, their plan backfired. The Lions got huge support from their fanbase. It even crossed some boundaries as LB Blake Cashman’s girlfriend claimed she heard Lions’ fans praying for injuries to the rivals.

In the end, the Lions had the last laugh. They snapped the Vikings’ 10-game winning streak, defeating them twice in the regular season. Fans watching the players were ecstatic about the victory. Overall, it’s the love of the game. Their Super Bowl dreams got crushed last year. Can they do it this time? 3 games and we will have our answer.