The Lions lost their first eight games. They lost 10 of their first 11, with a truly bizarre 16-16 tie with the Steelers mixed into that stretch. Detroit was expected to be woeful under first year head coach Dan Campbell—Matt Patricia’s tenure with the Lions left the roster gutted and the team demoralized, after all—and they were.
A funny thing has happened since then, though. The Lions have won two of their last three games, knocking off the Vikings in a squeaker and brutalizing a terrific Cardinals team 30-12 just this past Sunday. All the hard work Campbell and this team are putting in is finally bearing at least some fruit.