Getty Dan Campbell looks on during a Lions preseason game against the Steelers.
For decades, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the model franchises of the NFL, and that is the case quite literally for the Detroit Lions.
As the Lions have been searching in the wilderness for an identity, their new staff has a pretty good idea of what they want to see from the team, and it involves crafting a roster and a team that is just like the Steelers in plenty of ways. That’s according to head coach Dan Campbell.
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Speaking with the media on Wednesday, November 10, Campbell heaped praise on the Steelers as well as head coach Mike Tomlin, and admitted that when he looks across the field, he sees a team he wants to be like in Pittsburgh considering what they have done on the field through the years.
“I got a ton of respect for Mike Tomlin, I really do. I think when you’ve done what they’ve done for all those years, and he’s just consistently been the same coach. They’re competitive every year, year in and year out,” Campbell said to the media. “You know when you go play them what kind of game it’s going to be. It doesn’t matter. You’d love to be sitting here down the road saying alright man, this is the type of program we have.”
So what would that program look like? According to Campbell, it would start on defense, and then filter down to an explosive offense.
“We’d be built on defense and explosive run and pass game, that’s what it would be.” Campbell said. “But the first thing you think of is defense. And then from there, we’d be an explosive run and pass team. That’s probably it in a nutshell. The way I’d think of it.”
The Lions are trying to create a new identity under a new staff, and listening to the coach, it’s clear where the blueprint is coming from.
Lions Hope for Steelers Levels of Success
The Lions have a lot to hope for if they want to be like the Steelers. For one, the team’s ownership has been invested in a winner from the beginning, and constantly does what it takes to bring the organization to the top of the league. That’s culminated in six Super Bowl titles for the franchise since 1974. Perhaps more significantly, the Steelers have 24 division titles and eight conference championships to their credit. Those numbers dwarf plenty of teams in the league much less the Lions. Consider that Detroit has only four NFL championships to their credit pre-Super Bowl era, four conference championships and four division championships. With that in mind, the Lions have a long way to go before they can copy anything from Pittsburgh.
Pedigree wise, the Lions hope they can build something that lasts long-term just like the Steelers have. To that end, hearing Campbell be open about his goals is a breath of fresh air for a losing team like Detroit.
Tomlin Praises Lions Ahead of Steelers Matchup
If the Lions want to get to a point where they play as hard as the Steelers, they could be well on their way according to the opposition’s head coach. Mike Tomlin is taking that respect to a whole new level. Tomlin, speaking to the media in the lead up to Sunday’s game, has been praising the Lions in multiple different ways, reminding folks that it’s not as if the Steelers will be playing the junior varsity when Detroit suits up opposite them on the field.
As NFL Network reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala reported, Tomlin was going the extra mile to praise the Lions while also cautioning people that despite the team’s record, the game against them wasn’t going to be easy whatsoever. That’s true thanks to the fact that the Steelers are on a short week and the Lions are coming off a bye.
Tomlin also pointed out that every NFL team has talent, including the Lions. For that reason, it isn’t wise for anyone to think in the coach’s mind that Pittsburgh will be able to roll Detroit in Week 10.
Truth or some reverse psychology? Perhaps a bit of both. The Lions aren’t as bad as their record, but at the same time, the Steelers should be overwhelming favorites for the game. In the preseason, the Pittsburgh starters rolled up a 20-0 lead on Detroit before the second and third string made the game much closer in the end. Tomlin, however, probably wouldn’t be counted as too interested in these facts.
Eventually, the Lions might get there themselves if Campbell has his way.