It sounds great on the surface. We're just not sure that Dan Campbell knows exactly what he's talking about when he's predicting the potential future for the Detroit Lions.
The Lions employ Campbell as their head coach these days—and should be delighted to do so—which means that his job, in part, is to find ways to keep morale high, to say inspirational things, and to motivate his players. From an outsider's perspective, Campbell does a brilliant job at that in Detroit, which is part of the reason why the team is flying as high as ever these days.
But one recent rousing speech from Campbell ventured some interesting territory. Specifically, Campbell put forth an idea that felt a little unsettling to those of us in Chiefs Kingdom. That's because those of us who've been watching Kansas City this season know it's not true.
Just ask Chiefs fans how much they're smiling this year.
First, it's important to set up the speech here. Costa & Jansen is a typical morning sports talk show in Detroit on 97.1 FM (The Ticket). Like many such radio spots, interviews with the local football team's head coach are included in the weekly programming and Campbell sounded ready to answer questions this week after losing a tough game to the Buffalo Bills that featured a few key injuries for the team as well.
The interview was much longer than this, but here's the key part of the clip that grabbed our attention Campbell is on the phone in this set-up, by the way.
.@lions head coach Dan Campbell gave a passionate speech to #lions fans this morning with @costaandjansen pic.twitter.com/c0uUWHPDwl
— 97.1 The Ticket: (@971theticketxyt) December 17, 2024
In case you'd rather read it, here's the interesting section as it pertains to Chiefs Kingdom:
"We got a bad taste in our mouths. We got kicked around the other day. We lost a few guys. And you know what, it was exactly what we needed. It was exactly what we needed. So we’re gonna bounce back. We’re gonna respond. We’ve got some guys who are about to have an unbelievable opportunity here and we will play the game any way needed to win...
All right. So far, that sounds just fine. Even in just a few sentences, you can understand that Campbell is in love with the game and his players and is magnetic for those reasons. But then he stepped over the line—at least of knowing what exactly he was talking about.
"I don’t give a crap if we’ve gotta win by one point the rest of the year, that’s what we’re going to do. And I’m going to be happy about it. If we come out of the game with 50 yards of total offense and we win by one, you’re gonna see smiles on my face, I promise you. If it’s the other way defensively and we give up 700 yards and we win by one point, you’re going to see a f—king smile from my ear to ear, I promise you. So we’re going to find a way and get it done."
Yeah, about those one-point victories... we're not so sure about those emotions. If your offense gets 50 yards and a win, Chiefs Kingdom will tell you that you'lll still be unhappy. If your defense gives up 700 yards, an insane total, and you still win, we're pretty sure you won't be smiling ear to ear. In fact, the response will likely make you wonder if you lost instead.
For proof positive, the Chiefs have won 13 of 14 games this season. They've won the last two Super Bowls. They've dealt with numerous key injuries on both sides of the ball. They're also in a better position in the standings than any reasonable fan would have predicted at this point in the season—with a single loss and a two-game lead in the AFC with the division already clinched with a month to go.
But so many of those wins have come at the last second. They haven't allowed 700 yards, but they have won on a blocked field goal and a last-second doink. They've been called lucky and been the center of conspiracy theories. Fans have sounded ready to riot when the defense looked even average for a few games at mid-season and have called for Andy Reid's head (or at least Matt Nagy's) because the offense isn't sexy enough.
In other words, a win alone won't cut it for fans who are used to success. Detroit fans might not be there just yet, but Campbell has them well on his way. We have a feeling that if the results became a series of nail-biter victories that clearly expose the Lions' issues, few people would be smiling in the Motor City.
It turns out it's not just about wins or losses after all.