Prior to every NFL season, fans and media members alike give their predictions on which teams will win the division and the Super Bowl. For the NFC North, an overwhelming favorite has been the Detroit Lions, which would have shocked many years ago. But, this team is ready to change their reputation, as evidenced by their 4-1 start to the 2023 season, and look poised to claim the NFC North Championship for the first time in their history.
Detroit's coach is Dan Campbell, who was a bit of a surprise hire in 2021. He caught the attention of the league with his press conferences, talking about players biting off kneecaps and the amount of coffee he drinks a day. But Campbell has his players bought in, and they are showing out this season.
Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown spoke with FanSided's Sterling Holmes, in conjunction with Little Caesar's Pizza, and discussed what Campbell is like as a head coach behind the scenes.
Amon-Ra St. Brown discusses Dan Campbell as a head coach
"Yeah, Dan's awesome dude. Everyone sees the media, interviews of him, things he says, they love the energy that he brings to the media when he talks to them. But for us, man, as players, he's an awesome coach just because he understands what it's like to be in this league. He's a player-coach, he played in this league, he knows what we go through, day in and day out with the schedule, with practice, with meetings, with family back home, whatever it is, he understands all that. So he does a great job of putting himself in our shoes.
"But then again, he knows when to turn it on and he knows what we need and what's best for the team. So that's something that players that we really respect and he never changes, man, he's the same guy every day. When you see Dan, you're gonna get the same Dan and that's something I feel like for me as a player that I really respect because, some people in this business, like today, they'll be different guys one day than they were the next. So, Dan is the same dude every day, man, you know what you're gonna get and he's an awesome coach. He cares about all his guys. That's something that I really appreciate."
Campbell was brought in ahead of the 2021 league year after spending time as the tight ends coach and the assistant head coach for the New Orleans Saints from 2016 until 2020. Years before, Campbell was a tight end for teams like the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys, and even teams he coached for in the Lions and Saints. As St. Brown said, he knows what they're going through as players.
In his first year as head coach, the Lions were 3-13-1 on the season, finishing last in the entire NFC. But the 2022 season is when the Lions turned things around.
After starting the year with a 1-6 record, the Lions went on a 7-2 run entering the final week of the season, with a chance to make it into the playoffs. The Lions missed out after the Seattle Seahawks beat the Los Angeles Rams. However, the team was looking to make a statement at the expense of the rival Green Bay Packers, who would clinch a Wild Card spot with a win. Instead, the Lions brought the fight to them and took the 20-16 win, knocking the Packers out of playoff contention.
Through the first five weeks of this season, the Lions look like a surefire team that will clinch a playoff spot, considering how the NFC North division is shaping out. The players have bought in, and as St. Brown says, he's the same person every day at the Lions facility.
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