Taylor Decker – Lions Lowdown

Lions report for offseason workouts as defending division champs with higher expectations

ALLEN PARK — When the Lions reported for offseason workouts this week, it was as defending NFC North champs. While that’s something quite new, the goal remains the same.

They ended last season one win short of making it to the Super Bowl. Certainly that provides a different approach to the offseason.

“I think we all know what the goal is, it’s always been the goal. I don’t think it was not the goal last year,’’ quarterback Jared Goff said on Tuesday. “I think we got a chance to taste it last year so you get to see what it feels like but that’s the goal, and this year it’s absolutely the goal.’’

After winning two playoff games, ending a decades-long drought, many of the same players are back from a year ago. Expectations and standards will rise.

“Internally we’re going to do the same thing we’ve been doing: try to raise our internal expectations and standards. Even better, Dan (Campbell) put it great last year how much harder it’s going to be,’’ Goff said. “We know that it’s going to be harder, people are going to be gunning for us and it’s going to be at first to defend our division title that’s No. 1 and then see where we can go from there. Holding that trophy at the end of the year only one team gets to do it and that’s our goal.’’

Left tackle Taylor Decker, who has recovered from offseason foot/ankle surgery, said he couldn’t even watch the Super Bowl like he usually does.

“I think I watched a quarter, then I was disinterested. I felt like we matched up well with anybody we were going to play with. It definitely hurts and was a disappointment especially because as special of a year as it was to end and go home early,’’ Decker said on Tuesday.

“It was a bummer for sure, but stuff like that’s going to happen, you’re not going to win every single game in a blowout, I think we’ll be better for it and learn some things for it but I don’t think that’s going to define our approach,’’ Decker added.

The team is back for individual workouts this week with no coaching allowed. So they have not had a welcome-back speech from Campbell yet. So there’s been no outward talk about their goals, it’s mostly just understood.

“Obviously how the game ended was a disappointment for us especially because I think we showed throughout the season last year that we belonged in that position, it wasn’t a fluke,’’ Decker said. “They were a better team that day which was a disappointment for us. I don’t think that’s going to change our mindset or how we feel about ourselves that we came up short.. Moving forward we have bigger goals ahead of us, I don’t think that one moment is going to define how we move forward with our mindset and approach.’’

Tight end Brock Wright said they’ve been talking that the motto is “it takes more” and explains it as a holistic approach starting at the top with GM Brad Holmes and Campbell.

“So I think everybody will have to step up their game. (Last year) brings confidence, but I think everybody on our team should be confident knowing that we have the experience of being there and looking forward to carrying that over to next year,’’ Wright said.

One more thing: New Lions uniforms will be unveiled on Thursday night to season-ticket holders at Ford Field. Wright said he thinks they’re cool, but couldn’t share more info. Players are sworn to secrecy.

Lions, Dan Campbell reflect on loss and what they can see for next season

ALLEN PARK — And then it was Monday.

The Detroit Lions cleaned out their lockers, said their goodbyes and, along with coach Dan Campbell, reflected on the 34-31 loss to the 49ers in Sunday’s NFC Championship game.

“Our guys eyes are open. This should be the ultimate motivation to push forward and it will be for us, it will be,’’ Campbell said. “We’ll learn and move on.’’

Of course they are not happy with the defeat, after watching a 17-point lead evaporate in the second half.

“This is what you hear about all the time in catastrophes — it doesn’t take one or two, it takes 12 things to go wrong and we did all 12 of those wrong in all three phases,’’ Campbell said on Monday. “And ultimately, where we’ve been so good when one area is struggling a little bit and the other two pick them up. That was the game in the second half where in all three phases we were not good and we continued to make mistake after mistake after mistake in all three phases.’’

Campbell wasn’t as emotional as immediately after the game — and maybe it was because he was exhausted — but he did seem drained on Monday. The players were still digesting the horrific loss but were also happy to look ahead.

The future could be bright. One betting service has the Lions’ odds to win the Super Bowl in 2025 at 7/1 – the only two better teams are Kansas City 12/1 and San Francisco 49ers at 6/1. So there’s that.

All season long, Campbell said the team was built for whatever challenge they faced. “We’re built for this,’’ the coach repeated over and over. He was right until the second half on Sunday when they surrendered a 17-point lead.

‘I think the whole point was to create a core that had certain standards. Obviously they’ve got to be good players and we have that. But they’ve got to be a certain way, there’s got to be a certain mindset, a certain identity and we have that in our core,’’ Campbell said.

Between free agency and the draft, the roster will be tweaked for next season.

“And we’ve got to add pieces that are like-minded — we have to add more talent, more competition that thinks the same way that group of guys in the locker does,’’ Campbell said. “And it’s non-negotiable if it’s not. There’s no level of talent that’s worth bringing something that doesn’t fit what we’re about. That’s very important.’’

The players are all good with that – they saw the results in going 12-5, winning the NFC North title and a pair of playoff wins.

“They want guys that represent what this city is about. The cliche thing — blue collar, hard-working, resilient. That’s not lip service, that’s what we are,’’ left tackle Taylor Decker said. “There’s something to be said for those intangibles … Hopefully this is the tip of the iceberg for us and we’ll have some high standards going forward in the next few years.’’

Campbell, a master communicator, should guide them in the right direction just like he has for three seasons. He knows he has a foundation set.

“There’s things we won’t have to start all the way from scratch, but there’s got to be that hunger, there’s got to be that work, there’s got to be that attention to detail, there’s got to be that urgency,’’ Campbell said. “And in that regard, you’re starting all over again and if you don’t and you think you’re just going to walk out there because you went to the NFC Championship game you’ve got another thing coming. That’s how you become average in a hurry. They’ll know that, they understand that, as we get to next year that will be the message.’’

Detroit Lions headed to NFC Championship after 31-23 win over Tampa Bay Bucs

DETROIT — It is not a dream.

The Detroit Lions, who have dwelled in the NFL basement for far too long, came through with a 31-23 win over the Tampa Bay Bucs in an NFL divisional round game on Sunday to advance to the NFC Championship game next Sunday at San Francisco.

The Lions, your Lions, are one win away from playing in the Super Bowl.

“Here we are, sitting one of the last four teams. That was – that’s the type of game that I envisioned against Tampa,” coach Dan Campbell said. “I mean, that’s an outstanding team. That’s a hot team. We knew it was going to come down to the end.”

It had not completely sunk in with the players after the last bit of confetti had fallen from the Ford Field rafters.

“Frank (Ragnow) said it to me when we got in the locker room, ‘We’re playing in the NFC Championship.’ Of course we always work for this and towards this, but it’s here and it’s real. It’s kind of surreal in a sense,’’ said left tackle Taylor Decker, who was drafted by the Lions in 2016 and has experienced plenty of heartache.

Coach Dan Campbell has believed in this bunch all along. He repeatedly has said throughout the season that they “were built for this.”

“Dan talks about it all the time. This team was built a certain way for a reason,’’ Decker said. “And everybody in this locker room was hand-selected to be here. It’s a special group.”

They are not done. It’s back to work on Monday to prepare for the 49ers who defeated the Packers in a divisional game on Saturday night.

Five reasons the Lions won:

1.Let’s start with the very end. Linebacker Derrick Barnes intercepted Baker Mayfield on a second-and-5 from Tampa’s 15-yard line with 1:33 remaining and the Bucs down by 8 points. It sealed the win, allowing Jared Goff to go on the field for the victory formation – just like last week against the Rams. Aidan Hutchinson said it wasn’t the call played. Barnes said he wanted to see if Mayfield was going to throw the dagger behind him. “I turned around and I see the ball coming and I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m going to drop this.’’ He was so emotional he doesn’t even remember getting to the sideline. He said when the ball hit his hands and he dropped to the turf, his first thoughts were: “What the hell just happened? First career interception, my son’s first game, a lot of emotions out there.”

2. Lions quarterback Jared Goff stayed patient. The Lions managed just 10 points in the first half, but came away with three second-half touchdowns. “It was huge, especially because we know that defense is very stingy. They have a great group especially against the run. We knew we might have to soften a little with the pass to open up the run game,’’ Decker said. “It’s one of those things, you keep chopping, keep hammering. Those 2-, 3-yard gains in the run game are going to go to 10-yard gains.’’ And that’s exactly what happened. Goff completed 30 of 43 passes for 287 yards and a pair of touchdowns. “Goff made – I mean, fourth quarter, he really showed up there and made some big throws. And we knew we needed to throw the ball to move it today,” Campbell said. “That was – we went out there to Tampa and I’ve said this before, it was like swinging a sledgehammer against a steel door. I mean, we were just over and over and over. And so, we knew we needed to loosen them up before we started to run it and we did that.”

3. When it mattered the most, the defense came up big. Mayfield was sacked four times — Aidan Hutchingon (1), Brian Branch (1), Ifeatu Melifonwu (1.5) and Jalen Reeves-Maybin (.5). While Tampa won the battle in total yards – 408 to 391, the Bucs were just 4-12 on third downs and were held to just 89 rushing yards. They also had eight quarterback hits and two interceptions (Barnes and C.J. Gardner-Johnson).

4. In big games it’s key for the best players to be at their best. It happened for the Lions with wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown (8 receptions, 77 yards, 1 touchdown), tight end Sam LaPorta (9 catches, 65 yards) and running back Jahmyr Gibbs (9 carries, 74 yards, 1 touchdown and four catches for 40 yards). They had help which is what makes this Lions team special. WR Josh Reynolds and running back Craig Reynolds each scored a touchdown..

5. The game was not too big for the Lions, a young NFL team. Give Dan Campbell credit for his belief in this team. Look at the rookies – Gibbs, LaPorta and Brian Branch – they play like veterans. They got their first taste of the postseason a week ago in another close game, they digested it all, and came out firing on all cylinders on Sunday with a performance that will be remembered for a long time.

UP NEXT: NFC Championship Game with Lions at 49ers, Sunday, Jan. 28 at 6:30 p.m.