The Detroit Lions are feeling the extra media attention, as they rapidly approach one of the best prospective seasons in years, but Jared Goff and Dan Campbell are pumping the brakes on the hype train.
“I think as always, the thing that's gonna worry you is the hype train,” Campbell said as training camp got underway per Eric Woodyard of ESPN.
The Lions return several key starters, and got stronger on the offensive side of the ball thanks to their top draft pick Jahmyr Gibbs out of the backfield. Even with the added boosts, the returning stars are not taking anything for granted.
“We keep that underdog mentality. We haven't won anything yet, so obviously there's a lot of expectations, but then again, we still feel like the underdogs,” second-year DE Aidan Hutchinson said.
While the Lions haven't made the playoffs since 2016, they are the odds on favorite to win the NFC North this year. After the Green Bay Packers shake-up with Aaron Rodgers departing for the Jets, their reign of dominance may be ending, and Detroit is looking to capitalize on the open pathway.
“That so-called ‘hype train,' I think it's funny to me that like you go 9-8, you don't make the playoffs and now you're all of a sudden the favorite,” Goff said.
The Lions are +155 to win the division, followed by the Minnesota Vikings at +260 per FanDuel Sportsbook. There is no true dominant team of the four, so they will all battle for positioning throughout the regular season. Campbell's Lions are also -165 to make the playoffs through a potential wildcard spot if necessary.