After Getting Taste of Winning, Lions Planning for Super Bowl Run

Lions focused on reaching the top in 2024.

Lions quarterback Jared Goff warms up before the NFC divisional playoff game between the Lions and Buccaneers. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Detroit Lions tasted the highest levels of success in 2023.

By making a run to the NFC Championship game, the organization got to experience playing on the biggest stage. The relatively young group made a bid for the organization's first ever Super Bowl appearance, but ultimately came up short after a second half collapse against San Francisco.

With voluntary offseason workouts beginning Monday, the page has officially been turned to a pivotal 2024 campaign. In the fourth year of the Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell era, the Lions are now viewed as legitimate contenders.

As a result, the expectations both inside and outside of the team's Allen Park facility have been raised.

"Obviously how that game ended was a disappointment for us, especially because we showed throughout the season last year and in that game that we belong in that position," said veteran offensive lineman Taylor Decker. "It’s not a fluke. But they made more plays than us. So they were the better team that day.

"It was a disappointment for us. I don’t think that’s gonna change our mindset or how we feel about ourselves that we came up short. I think we’re just gonna keep moving forward. We have bigger goals ahead of us so it’s not like that one moment is gonna define how we move forward with our mindset and our approach.” 

Decker, who is entering his ninth NFL season, has been through the highs and lows of the organization. While the experience was ultimately beneficial, the way the season ended ultimately left a sour taste to associate with an otherwise spectacular 2023 campaign.

The Ohio State product shared his feelings during his media availability Tuesday. Normally an engaged viewer of the Super Bowl every year, Decker said he felt disengaged while attempting to watch a game he felt his team should've been playing in.

“Usually I watch the whole thing. ‘Oh, it’s so cool, it’s the Super Bowl, I would love to play in one,’" Decker stated. "But yeah, I was just so disinterested in it because obviously we were one game short of it and I felt like we did belong and we matched up well with everyone. It’s one of those what could’ve been sort of things.” 

Another leader, quarterback Jared Goff, shared similar sentiments. The passer is one of the few players on the 2024 roster who has firsthand experience playing in the big game, as he led the Rams to an appearance in Super Bowl 53.

The Rams came up short in that game, which offered Goff extra motivation. After being traded to the Lions and experiencing struggles early in his tenure, he has righted the ship. The team is raising the bar with hopes of pushing through last year's success and reaching the title.

Now, with the 2023 season in the rearview mirror, reaching the ultimate goal and raising the Lombardi Trophy is firmly on the team's mind.