There is quite a bit to be excited about for the Detroit Lions as they prepare for their Wild Card playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams. It is Detroit's first home playoff game since the 1991 season. The Lions won that game by a 38-6 margin over the Dallas Cowboys.
They have not won a playoff game since then.
The Lions have had an excellent season, as they took command of the NFC North division early in the season and they won the crown with a 12-5 record. Head coach Dan Campbell has done an excellent job of preparing his team on an every-week basis, while offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has demonstrated that he is an excellent play caller for Jared Goff and the Detroit offensive players.
On the defensive side, Aaron Glenn has also been credited with doing a wonderful job of positioning his players correctly and giving them a scheme that produced solid results.
Additionally, the Lions fans are incredibly supportive of their team, and that's a positive sign going into the playoffs. The long-suffering Detroit supporters want nothing more than to root their team on to postseason success.
When it comes to their initial playoff foray against the Rams, there's no reason the Lions can't be successful. They have the home field advantage, they had a better record than the Rams and they should be able to play their best game of the season.
But when it comes to advancing deep into the playoffs, the Lions may not be good enough.
Jared Goff is solid, but can he reach the heights needed to help Lions win key playoff games?
Goff has had a fine season because he reads defenses well, throws an accurate pass and he won't take chances when his receivers are covered.
He finished the regular season by completing 407 of 605 passes for 4,575 yards with 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He can make many of the short- and medium-range throws that are needed during the course of a 60-minute game.
However, can he make all the throws that are needed to beat the best opponents. Not only passes that extend 25 or more yards downfield, but the passes that may be 15 yards downfield but have to be thrown on the line to the sidelines.
Goff may have gotten away with that pass when facing the Vikings secondary, but what happens if he is facing the Cowboys or the 49ers.
Goff is a good quarterback, but is he good enough to make the key plays when the game is on the line against great opponents?
The defense stepped up, but the Lions still have problems in that area
The Lions have shown significant improvement on defense this season. A look back reveals this team ranked 32nd in yards allowed per game in the 2022 season.
This year, Glenn's defense ranked 19th and made a number of big plays. They have a dominating pass rusher in Aidan Hutchinson who filled the stat sheet this season with 51 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
However, the Lions defense clearly needs more good players. While going from 32 to 19 is good, the Lions had a much better ranking in the middle of the season. They have not performed as well on the defensive side since their bye in Week 9.
If they are going to have success in the postseason, the defense is going to have to return to top form — and do it quickly.
Are Campbell's inspirational words enough in the postseason?
The Detroit head coach has been praised for his ability to get the best effort out of his players throughout the season. He comes across as an inspirational leader who will lay it on the line every week and his players follow his lead.
But how does Campbell compare to the competition? They are playing the Rams Sunday afternoon, and Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay already has a Super Bowl triumph to his credit. McVay is viewed as one of the best strategists in the NFL.
He may not be in Campbell's class when it comes to issuing an emotional locker room speech, but he is incredibly advanced when it comes to strategy.
If the Lions get the better of the Rams and eventually face the top-seeded 49ers, how will Campbell do when he has to match wits with Kyle Shanahan?
Both McVay and Shanahan are quite advanced when it comes to game planning and putting their players in a position to succeed. Campbell may be lacking in that category.