Getty Barry Sanders gets an award while at Oklahoma State in 2021.
While the Detroit Lions didn’t have a great season on the field in 2021-22, they did finish the old year and start the new one with some major momentum.
Over the last six weeks of the season, the once-winless Lions managed to go 3-3. While that might not seem like much to many, it was still notable for the team given what a struggle the first part of the season looked like. That finish was notable to those who follow the team closely like former running back Barry Sanders.
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Joining The Pat McAfee Show, Sanders was asked about the way the Lions played this season, and admitted that while the season was a struggle, there were still some major positives to take away from the year, namely some of the biggest wins the team was able to score over contending teams.
“I think there’s definitely some positives the Lions can take from this season.. we saw a lot of fight & guys playing their hearts out to the very end” ~@BarrySanders
“It was a tough year obviously Pat, but I think you look at the last month and a half of the season, we won three games, we were in a lot of other games, we beat a division rival who’s going to the playoffs in the last game of the season,” Sanders said in the interview. “You know this Pat from being in the league, sometimes there’s a very slim margin between top teams, middle tams and bottom teams. I know coach Campbell understood we had our work cut out for us coming into this season. We are somewhat rebuilding but we saw a lot of fight. We saw guys out there playing their hearts out until the very end. That’s what you like to see. Now, we’re just trying to figure out who’s going to be with us going forward and who is not a part of that picture. But I think there are certainly some things we can take from the year and some positive things we can take. Beating the Cardinals at home was another big one as well.”
Out of Detroit’s three wins, those two certainly were the biggest, so Sanders is spot on with his take. The wins also gave hope that the Lions can compete with the best of the best in the league in the future. To that end, it’s easy to see how they were the top moments in 2021-22 for the team.
Sanders Believes in Dan Campbell
A big reason for that momentum and those wins was the work of Dan Campbell at head coach. Campbell kept the team together in a big way on the field and off, and that made an impression with Sanders, who admitted he had heard of Campbell early in the hiring process and has remained impressed as the season has gone on. According to Sanders, the hope now is that the Lions can support Campbell in all ways possible in order for him to have success.
“Dan Campbell came from a winning culture & hopefully we give him everything he needs to turn things around in Detroit” ~@BarrySanders
“We know that he’s coming from a winning culture. He knows what it looks like, and hopefully we’ll give him everything he needs to be able to turn things around here,” Sanders told McAfee.
This offseason, that’s the plan for the Lions, who need to find a way to keep building.
Sanders Tweeted Happiness Over Lions 2021 Finish
Sanders was clearly impressed with the Lions watching the action during Week 18. As the elite former runner was watching the Lions play a gritty game against the Green Bay Packers in Week 18, and admitted how impressed he was with the way the team was playing.
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As Sanders tweeted, he was very impressed watching the Lions play this year and loves the fight the team has shown on the field.
“I love the way the Lions have fought all season,” Sanders tweeted. “Whether we win or lose, the fight in this team has been incredible. #RoarFor2022 and great things to come!”
Sanders is right in that great things could be coming for the team, especially because the coaching staff is likely to return, and the team has multiple young difference makers on the roaster. Sanders follows these things closely, so it makes sense that he would be very encouraged by what he sees from the team.
These words are a big reason for Lions fans to feel good about the direction of the franchise moving forward, and Sanders clearly believes in the team in a big way.