Lions’ Legend Doesn’t Hold Back On Detroit’s Organization

The Detroit Lions have certainly turned things around the last couple of years.

For the better part of the last several decades, the Lions’ have been the laughing stock of the NFL. They have been a perennially losing franchise, and it looked like they would never get themselves out of the mud.

However, during the second half of 2022, Detroit began to show some promise, which had many optimistic about the Lions heading into 2023.

Apparently, there was legitimate reason for the optimism, as Detroit ended up going 12-5 and winning its first division title since 1993. It also captured its first playoff win since January 1992, making it all the way to the NFC Championship Game where it fell to the San Francisco 49ers.

Not only that, but the Lions were this close to punching their ticket to the Super Bowl, as they held a 24-7 halftime lead over the 49ers before blowing it.

Former Detroit wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who is widely viewed as one of the best pass-catchers in NFL history, is pumped about the direction of the franchise and says it is now a completely different organization compared to the team that he was there.

“Night and day,” Johnson said when asked about the difference. “You have a head coach (Dan Campbell} that’s a former player. I mean I played with him, so I know what he’s all about. … You’ve got guys that want to have success in the league, and they have somebody that’s been there and done that, they’re going to fall in, they’re going to buy in, they’re going to listen.”

Johnson added that the Lions began to “trend up” in 2022 and that he has “high expectations” for the club even though the NFC has improved overall.

The superstar wide out played for Detroit between 2007 and 2015, making a pair of trips to the playoffs while he was there. The Lions lost in the Wild Card Round both times.

Johnson made six straight trips to the Pro Bowl between 2010 and 2015 and also earned three First-Team All-Pro selections during that span.

He posted seven 1,000-yard campaigns during his nine-year NFL career and led the league in receiving yards twice, including the 2012 season when he set the single-season record with 1,964 yards.

We’ll see if the Lions are able to build on their newfound success in 2024.

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