Dan Campbell has never shied away from showing his emotions since taking over as head coach for the Detroit Lions. He'll let you know exactly how he feels at any given moment, and it's a refreshing and honest attitude. Apparently, it's also trickled down to the players he coaches.

Take, for instance, Taylor Decker. The Lions' left tackle was visibly moved after starting his 100th game for the franchise that drafted him back in 2016, per MLive's Kyle Meinke. The 42-24 win over the Carolina Panthers moved Detroit to 4-1 on the season. The Lions now sit in sole possession of first place in the NFC North.

Fresh off a 9-8 2022 season, their first with a winning record since 2017, the Lions are looking like a true contender in the NFC. It starts with Decker and the offense, an explosive unit that has scored 76 points across its last two games, both wins.

But it's been a bumpy ride for Decker to get to this point, although his career in Motown started off promisingly enough. The team qualified for the playoffs in his rookie season, 2016, losing to the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card Round.

Despite a 9-7 record in 2017, the Lions missed out on the postseason, and would do so for the next five seasons and counting. The Matt Patricia Error, uh, Era, ended with three last place finishes and just 13 wins from 2018-2020 with the former New England Patriots defensive coordinator was in charge.

We aren't even done with Week 5 yet. A lot can change. But if Campbell and the Lions are able to keep these winning ways up, it will be a just reward for Decker and all the down years he endured to once again taste the playoffs.