Dan Campbell: Lions' Hype Train Is 'Out of Control'

The Lions are not sacrificing the work ahead of a highly anticipated 2023 season.

The Detroit Lions have emerged as one of the NFL's most popular teams after a scorching finish to the 2022 season. 

Under the leadership of third-year coach Dan Campbell, the Lions have generated plenty of positive momentum over the last year. 

The team rolled to eight wins in its final 10 games, and narrowly missed out on the postseason. Now, the Lions are viewed as division favorites, with the ability to make noise in the postseason.

As they begin training camp ahead of the highly anticipated 2023 campaign, the coach was consistent with his messaging. He knows the expectations, but there's no chance of achieving them if the team doesn't put in the necessary work. 

"It takes a high level of commitment and sacrifice, and I think that's what makes it special," Campbell explained. "Because if there are guys who don't quite get there or do that, they get weeded out in a hurry, and it's not for everybody. I'll always appreciate that. As always, the thing that worries you is the hype train. This thing has taken off, and it's out of control right now. That's fine, as long as we stay focused on the job at hand and the work." 

He acknowledged the high expectations for the team throughout his first training camp press conference. He's not feeding into the projections, but admitted that he feels quite confident about where the Lions stands heading into the upcoming season. 

"I like where we're at, and we're gonna have enough firepower to bang away and compete," Campbell stated. "I do believe that, so I like that. But, we've got to work now." 

The veteran coach plans to be consistent with his messaging and emphasis on work. He believes that the team's standard must be met, in order fo the lofty goals to be met at the end of the season. 

"You keep the message consistent, and you say what it is," the coach said. "It just goes back to the work. When you see it not going that way, or we have some guys who are deviating a little bit or they think they've arrived and they haven't, you call them out on it. As long as we do that as players and coaches, as teammates, we'll be fine. But, if we all just turn a blind eye and think that, 'Everybody says we're gonna be this, we will be this.' That's not true."