Dan Campbell on Sunday against Packers (Photo: Jeff Nguyen)
The Detroit Lions ended the season on a high note Sunday, beating the Packers 37-30. Still, the team ended with a miserable 3-13-1 record.
Now, the honeymoon is over for the rookie coach Dan Campbell and General Manager Brad Holmes, writes Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press.
Because for all the promising aspects of this season, and all the talk about foundation-building and a young roster and a colorful coach who turned out to be much more than a soundbite simpleton, the NFL doesn’t stand still for anyone — and it doesn’t tolerate losing for long. ...
No one expected miracles this season. As I wrote multiple times, this season was not going to be about the record. It was going to be about building for next year and beyond. Next season will also be about building the roster and improving the team. But it also has to be about results, to some extent. It’s commendable that Campbell and his staff got the most out of players late in a meaningless season, because that isn’t easy to do. Campbell talked about grit from the start, and it was there at the end Sunday. ...
But next season, there has to be more than hope. There has to be more than good effort when the games don’t matter anymore. Holmes has to acquire enough talent so that Campbell can turn his players’ effort into results earlier in the season. Look, I’m not expecting a playoff berth next season. But I am expecting them to remain relevant at least through the midpoint of the season.
