“Terminator 2” topped the box office charts. “Home Alone” made its debut, and “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston was the number one song. That was 1991, the last time the Detroit Lions won an NFL playoff game.
Since 1960, the Lions have had one playoff win, one playoff win in 62 years. Then, this season rolled around.
This season, the Lions won 12 games, their first division title since 1993, and now have multiple playoff wins.
But this season didn’t just happen. No, it was carefully planned out, thanks to head coach Dan Campbell, general manager Brad Holmes and owner Sheila Ford Hamp. Hamp became the principal owner of the lions on June 23, 2020, and seven months later, she hired Holmes and Campbell.
While Holmes and Campbell get most of the credit for what this team has become, and rightfully so, neither of them would be here without Hamp.
Holmes got to work immediately and drafted their future franchise right tackle, Penei Sewell. Since then, Holmes has been one of the league’s best drafters as over half of his draft picks since becoming the general manager have turned into starters for the team.
Campbell, who was once laughed at for his introductory press conference where he promised to “bite off the kneecaps” of opposing players, has turned into one of the leagues most respected coaches and is a Coach of the Year finalist this season.
These are the people that were tasked with guiding a ship that had no direction and winning for a fan base that has never won anything before.
Fast forward to 2023: I guess you could say they’ve done just that. The Lions have won two straight playoff games for the first time since 1957 and sit one win away from a Super Bowl berth, something that has never been done in the history of the franchise.
The only obstacle left in their path is the mighty San Francisco 49ers, the NFC’s No. 1 seed and the team that has been to four of the last five conference championship games. Old vs. new is the storyline here, as Dan Campbell and his squad will head into battle once again to try to continue to shock the world and do something no Lions team has ever done before.
