Getty Jason Cabinda and Anthony Pittman celebrate during a 2021 Lions game.
The Detroit Lions just finished off a 3-13-1 season, yet optimism for their future is at an all-time high from the fanbase as well as with the players.
A big reason for this is the mindset of the coaching staff and the tone they have set for the future and beyond. Dan Campbell has the Lions unified in a big way and all pushing in the same direction. This has the team mentally prepared to take the next steps already.
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One of the team’s captains from the past year in Jason Cabinda understands how far things have come and why the team is set for more success coming up. As Cabinda explained when speaking with the media following the conclusion of the season on January, the team is unified and pushing in the right direction.
“We’re all rowing the boat in the same direction” – @jasoncabinda
“We’re all rowing the boat in the same direction. We all know what’s expected of us and we’re all sacrificing whatever we need to in order to get there and reach our goals. I think that’s really what that’s all about. Everything might not look exactly how you want it to look, your role might not how you want it to look but it’s for the best of the team, the best of us winning, getting to a Super Bowl, wining a championship. Guys are going to do it. That’s where we are right now,” Cabinda said to the media.
According to Cabinda, every player is on board with making some of the ultimate sacrifices in order to get the team to where they want to be. Finding that buy in is critical, so hearing that the Lions have it already could be a huge advantage to finding a quick turnaround for the team.
Lions Chemistry Saw Major Turnaround
This season, chemistry has been a big buzzword for the Lions. Coming off the miserable Matt Patricia experience where players checked out and seemed to resent the coaching staff, it was going to be paramount for Campbell to build the kind of chemistry that the team needs in order to sustain itself. Though the Lions struggled in between the lines this year in terms of wins and losses, the one thing the team managed to do was stick together in a big way on the field. There was no faith lost in the program, and the team was able to come through with some late wins in spite of adversity because of this fact.
Cabinda’s Stats & Highlights
In terms of Cabinda, he’s the kind of player who can be counted on to continue to lead the way for the team. A converted linebacker, Cabinda has embraced the role that he has been given on special teams and done a great job for the Lions and their roster. He has shown toughness in the trenches as well as durability and an openness to embrace a new position. While Cabinda hasn’t put up huge stats at fullback with only 23 career yards on 3 rushing attempts, he is helping to lead the way for Detroit’s ground attack, which has been solid at times this year. Prior to his play at fullback, Cabinda was a linebacker in the league, where he put up 35 total tackles.
Here’s some of his highlights from college playing defense at Penn State:
Not only did Cabinda embrace a move to the offensive side of the ball after coming to Detroit, but he embraced a new role for himself as well. As he explained, that can be key for a team that is looking to take the next step.
At this point, that’s where the Lions are at.
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