Lions News

[whatever_gong82]

DFN Lions Mailbag: A big batch of questions for the postseason bye week

Justin Rogers
Jan 11


Welcome to a bye-week edition of the mailbag.


Q: Do you think the defense has enough left in the tank to play like they did against Minnesota for three more games? — Steve Londeau

Justin: Do the Lions have enough on defense to get to the Super Bowl? Absolutely. Are they going to consistently hold playoff-caliber opponents under 10 points and go 100% in the red zone? Probably not.

But let’s look at the levels of the unit. Up front, Za’Darius Smith, DJ Reader and Levi Onwuzurike are unquestionably starting-caliber talent. In the second level, Alex Anzalone and Jack Campbell are a pair of high-quality, three-down linebackers. And in the back end, most teams would kill for a safety collective like Detroit’s, which includes the versatile Ifeatu Melifonwu.


Are there soft spots with the personnel? Absolutely. Josh Paschal is relatively one-dimensional, not offering a ton as a pass-rusher. And Terrion Arnold is still prone to some rookie mistakes, even though they’ve whittled with a season’s worth of experience. Perhaps the biggest concern is the depth, which remains depleted from all the injuries (although it’s easy to appreciate what Al-Quadin Muhammad has brought down the stretch).

That said, every team has weaknesses. Detroit’s reliable pieces on defense are enough to produce adequate results. As long as the offense and special teams live up to their standard, the Lions should be OK.


Q: In light of Alex Anzalone’s return from a broken forearm, what about Marcus Davenport? — Sam Chiodo

Justin: They're different injuries. Davenport had a triceps tendon tear that required surgery. There are varying degrees to that injury, and I can’t speak to the extent of his, but recovery can take up to a year in some cases, according to available medical documentation.


In late November, Davenport was still wearing a brace designed to limit his range of motion. Even if he gets medically cleared between now and the Super Bowl, how strong will the arm be? Remember, he's a guy who leans on his bull rush and long arm as his go-to moves.

I know he was hopeful to get back this year. There’s nothing wrong with optimism and viewing the world as a glass half full. But, realistically, it’s not happening.


Q: Do you think the Lions playing more nickel on Sunday was specific to the Vikings matchup or something they’ll lean into moving forward? — Dhani Bowtie

Justin: There will be situations where a linebacker is the right schematic choice ahead of Melifonwu, but I’m convinced the Lions see the combination of Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph and Melifonwu sharing the field as much as possible gives them the best chance to win.


Q: Setting aside storylines, could you rank the potential Divisional round opponents, in terms of potential challenge for the Lions? — ML

Justin: In my opinion, the best to worst-case for the Lions would go: Green Bay, Washington, Rams, Vikings.


Typically, you don’t want to see a divisional opponent a third time, but the Packers have repeatedly struggled against quality opponents this year, Jordan Love is the worst-performing quarterback from that group of teams, and the Packers have lost some key pieces to season-ending injury in Jaire Alexander and Christian Watson.

With Washington, Jayden Daniels is a dynamic, dual-threat force who has the potential to quickly develop into the conference’s best quarterback, but he’s still a rookie. Plus, the Commanders’ defense is shaky.


The Rams — for as ferocious a competitor as Matthew Stafford continues to be — have struggled offensively the past two months outside of a 44-point explosion against Buffalo. If the Lions put up 27 points, which they did each of their final five games, it would likely be enough.

The Vikings rematch is intimidating because of their coaching. Yes, the Lions just smashed them, but I trust Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores to make game-plan adjustments better than most coaches in the NFL. Plus, Sam Darnold isn’t likely to miss as many open throws as he did in Week 18. That’s a team loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. They didn’t win 14 games this year by accident.


Q: What's your favorite football movie? — Jeff Zyla

Justin: This is an enormous blind spot for me. There are so many classics I haven’t seen, including Rudy, Remember the Titans, Varsity Blues and Friday Night Lights. I know, it’s bad.

The only one I can remember watching is The Replacements. Yes, it was corny, but it came out when I was fresh out of high school, so the humor probably connected. I’m scared to rewatch it. I can’t imagine it has held up well.




Q: Who manages the AP voter docket and how would a writer (you) get added? — Bo Schmitz

Justin: I honestly don’t know. There’s likely a national sports editor at the Associated Press overseeing the panel. I’d never campaign for inclusion. They already have an excellent group of voters, many with national experience and better in touch with the entire league. Plus, I know what Dave Birkett puts into the responsibility, as the local voice.


Q: Are you still planning to add video to your podcasts? If so, what’s your timeline? — John Figulski

Justin: John, the podcast production is out of my control. I lean into allowing Audacy to handle that because my plate is already overflowing.

I do know the podcast is recorded on video each week. Where that file goes is a reasonable question. I’ll ask around.


Q: With Aaron Glenn likely gone, how much could the defensive scheme change under someone like Terrell Williams or Kelvin Sheppard? Would we have the personnel to fit their new schemes or would they try to replicate what Glenn has done? — Chris Welter

Justin: Any good coach crafts/modifies a scheme around their personnel. Each year under Glenn, the Lions have morphed into something slightly different. He has changed the way his front attacks, how the linebackers play, and altered the reliance on zone/man coverage calls to best fit the roster. What hasn’t changed is his identity. He wants to be aggressive, which marries with the philosophies of head coach Dan Campbell.

If Campbell has to replace Glenn — which I’m sure he’s braced to do — he’ll promote or bring in someone who views the game through the same philosophical lens, has a malleable scheme, and is a strong teacher.


Q: In the offseason, what kind of content do you want to produce? — Charlie Campbell IV

Justin: I have the formulations of a loose plan, and when we reach the early stages of the offseason, I’ll reveal that to the community. There are many built-in pillars to cover leading up to the start of training camp. In reality, the NFL’s offseason is only five weeks, from mid-June to late-July.

For reference, there is the post-mortem of the previous season, Senior Bowl, the scouting combine, free agency, owners meetings, the draft, schedule release, OTAs and mandatory minicamp. I have things I’ve done in the past that I’ll bring here and some fresh ideas to evolve those coverage strategies.

And, of course, I’ll take the community’s input throughout the process. The ultimate goal is creating content you want to read.


Q: Top 10 things to do on a day off? — John R. Ehlke

Justin: You want a list of 10? No chance.

Days off are so few and far between July through February that I often spend them doing errands. My wife shoulders so much of the load during the season that it’s only right I handle the grocery shopping or whatever else needs to be done around the house.

When it’s warm, and I have more time to plan, I prefer to be outdoors. Depending on how much time I have, a round of golf (or disc golf) is always a joy. When it’s colder, dinner and a movie are a reliable option. Trying new restaurants is one of our favorite activities.


Q: Is Kerby Joseph a candidate for a big extension? Branch is likely a year away. Can the team afford two safeties making top dollar? — Robert Honeyman

Justin: Is he a candidate? Absolutely. How could he not be? He’s been everything the team had hoped for from a playmaking perspective, intercepting at least four passes each season. He’s made steady improvements extending beyond the takeaways. His commitment to bettering his tackling speaks volumes about his football character. And he’s presented no problems off the field. What more could you want?


You’re right, the financial conversations are going to start getting tricky for the Lions, at some point. Joseph’s baseline is going to be the four-year, $67 million contract ($23 million guaranteed) Xavier McKinney got from the Packers this offseason.

Can they afford to pay both Joseph and Branch? Probably. It’s all about what you prioritize with your cap spending. But that does mean the roster will have to be cheaper somewhere else. That might eventually require the replacement of Taylor Decker, Anzalone or other veteran pieces with draft picks on cheap rookie deals. That’s how these things work.




Q: I'm curious about mouthguards. What are the NFL/NFLPA rules and what do the players think about them? — AntiTrustCrumbler

Justin: There are no NFL requirements regarding mouthguards, only recommendations. Some studies have suggested a reduction in concussions for players who wear them, but the league views that data as inconclusive.

continued..

[whatever_gong82]

Q: Can you revisit your initial thoughts on Campbell's intro press conference? — Jamelle Cooper

Justin: Despite not always publicly presenting it, I would classify myself as an optimist. Or, at the very least, I like to give people a chance to prove themselves before passing judgment.

I remember Campbell’s introductory press conference being informative, passionate and colorful. I tweeted something like this is what winning a press conference looks like, while also acknowledging winning a press conference means very little.


I also recall being annoyed that all anyone wanted to talk about in the days and weeks after was the “kneecap” bit. Every out-of-market radio interview I did for the next year brought it up. At some level I understood — it was graphic, colorful and interesting — but he talked for nearly an hour and had a lot of other interesting points suggesting he might be cut out for this daunting job. Campbell’s genuineness jumped off the screen. Remember, we were in the Zoom era for the presser, sadly.

I have plans for a larger revisiting of that press conference sometime soon. Stay tuned.


Q: What is the typical week/day for the coaches? When do they develop specific plays/strategies for teams vs honing basic plays/skills? Does this change as the season goes on? — Mark Brauning

Justin: Let’s start after the completion of a game. Coaches immediately begin to process the tape of that game for Monday meetings and corrections. Monday night and Tuesday are preparing for the next opponent, using tape study combined with the work done by the advanced scouting department to craft a game plan. Position coaches often divide work based on specialties, such as studying blitz packages or red-zone strategies. They write and present reports to the rest of the staff based on their film observations.


Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are the installation of the game plan in segments. Specific days are committed to early downs, third downs, red zone, and situational football. That’s implemented through classroom work, a daily walkthrough and practice.

There are a ton of meetings during the week. Some are coaches only, many are with position groups, and others are sides of the ball, special teams and full-team sessions. The film study never really stops. If there’s downtime for a coach, it’s during windows on Friday and Saturday nights, but many grind right through that because they struggle with work-life balance and the fear of being outworked by a colleague or the competition.


The 12-18 hour days are real. The 80-plus-hour work weeks are also real. It’s a brutal job, in-season, and reserved for individuals who are passionate and hard-working.

Player development never stops, but most fundamental work is done during the offseason. Younger players continue to get extra film time and pre- and post-practice work with some of the assistant position coaches, guys like Steve Oliver, Cam Davis and Jim O'Neil.


Q: Projecting ahead a few months, where do you see Hendon Hooker fitting into their long-term plans? Would a trade make sense, and could they get more than the third-round pick they spent on him? — Jeff Koski

Justin: I don't understand the fascination with trading Hooker. As noted above, the Lions have significant resources tied up in many roster spots. It’s beneficial to have a cheap backup QB, as opposed to a higher-end veteran that typically run around $8 million per season.

Does Hooker hope to be a starter someday? Hopefully. That should be every NFL player's ambition. But there’s plenty of value in developing a reliable backup in case your starter gets hurt. Was Hooker all the way there this year? No, not in his first full season. But even through one training camp/preseason, you could see tremendous strides. He should be even better next year, reducing the need to bring in a Teddy Bridgewater at the end of the season — although there’s value in having a third, emergency QB on a playoff roster.

If the Lions traded Hooker today, they’re not getting back the investment. Maybe a sixth-rounder. Maybe. Malik Willis brought back a seventh. Justin Fields, a sixth. Mac Jones, a sixth. Despite the value Lions fans have assigned to Hooker, it’s not more than those players.


Q: Is DPJ still on practice squad? — Prashant dixit

Justin: Yes. Why? I’m not sure.


Q: You have mentioned Gibbs and Montgomery are envisioned as this offense’s version of Kamara and Ingram. How does Jared Goff compare to Drew Brees in this offense? — Dave Reimink

Justin: There are some similarities in the sense both are pocket passers, smart, and driven, but Brees’ precision and accuracy were unparalleled.

Goff is trending toward a stellar career. It's been encouraging to see continued improvements in areas he was considered deficient as a young player. But Brees is a lock for the Hall of Fame because of his otherworldly production and consistency.


Q: You wrote an awesome article on Chris Spielman last season. What kind of experience has he received that lends itself to him being potentially ready for his own GM role now that its been reported that he's getting interviews? — Benjamin Walker

Justin: First and foremost, Spielman understands what it takes to build a strong culture. That extends from his playing days, both at Ohio State and the NFL, to his time around top executives as a broadcaster, to actually doing the work behind the scenes in Detroit, starting before Campbell and Holmes were hired.

Spielman was part of the committee that helped make those leadership hires, and he has access to every person in the building, siphoning knowledge of the various processes that go into building a winner.


Is he an elite talent scout? No. But does he understand how to work collaboratively with those who are while utilizing his skills and experience to identify strong football character? Sure. Can he motivate and lead? Absolutely.

What qualifies him now more than four years ago is how much time he’s spent gaining knowledge in all facets of running an organization, particularly one that rose from the bottom to the top of the league. If he was hired by an organization, his success would still hinge on who he surrounds himself with in his front office. You won’t go far without strong college scouting and pro personnel directors.


Q: Has Amik done enough at outside corner to save money and pass on re-signing Carlton Davis III? — James Pollock

Justin: It’s a valid question and the type of cap decision facing Holmes this offseason. Ideally, Arnold would take a developmental jump in his second season and be more prepared to serve as the team’s No. 1 corner. Robertson has enough talent, and more than enough moxie, to be a full-time No. 2. And that potentially opens up the nickel slot for Ennis Rakestraw.

From there, you add depth in free agency and the draft and let the depth chart be sorted through competition.




Email: jrogers@detroitfootball.net

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[El Axe]

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/n...s/77559644007/

There was a California high school coach over 20 years ago who refused to field a punt team. His team won numerous state championships. No-one followed his example despite his unusual success.

I remember when I read that article how it completely changed my perception of 4th down and how football coaches were completely caught up in a paradigm. One of my first realizations of a paradigm. So many sports "truisms" have turned out to be complete horse manure.

Moneyball is, of course, the most famous example of taking advantage of those kinds of stuck-inside-the-box thinking.

[froot loops]

Any time the high school team I worked for played a team from the Thumb, they rarely punted because most of them ran the Wing T. It sucked because stops on 3rd down weren't exciting. You knew you had that 4th and 2 you had to stop.

[Sanders Fan]

Justin Rogers hasn’t seen Rudy? I’m almost offended.

[whatever_gong82]

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2025/01/11/detroit-lions-americas-team-nfl-playoffs-2025/77628547007/

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2025/01/11/detroit-lions-nfl-super-bowl-predictions-2025-playoffs/77580498007/

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2025/01/11/spirit-of-detroit-statue-lions-gear-tigers-jersey/77598183007/

https://www.freep.com/story/news/columnists/neal-rubin/2025/01/11/lions-kicker-jake-bates-wedding-registry-shows-restraint-as-leaps-of-faith-rewarded/77592951007/

[CGVT]

There was a California high school coach over 20 years ago who refused to field a punt team. His team won numerous state championships. No-one followed his example despite his unusual success.

I remember when I read that article how it completely changed my perception of 4th down and how football coaches were completely caught up in a paradigm. One of my first realizations of a paradigm. So many sports "truisms" have turned out to be complete horse manure.

Moneyball is, of course, the most famous example of taking advantage of those kinds of stuck-inside-the-box thinking.

I think that Campbell has changed the game.

Going on fourth down to steal a possession or two in a game is becoming the norm in the NFL since MCDC has made it commonplace

[DanO]

I think that Campbell has changed the game.

Going on fourth down to steal a possession or two in a game is becoming the norm in the NFL since MCDC has made it commonplace

Yep! Others aren't as good at it as we are though. This will become much more common. Campbell's a harbinger.

[Mainevent]

Was just reading an article yesterday where this guy was all about how DC’s decision making will be a big story for the playoffs and while it brings a lot of good it can be reckless, like when it cost them the NFC last year. It’s such bullshit. Froot always points this out, but the media still loves to reward the risk averse/cowardly punt crowd when it comes to the NFL.

[froot loops]

TMQ used to always talk about this as coaches blame shifting to the players.

[-Deborah-]

https://www.freep.com/story/news/col...d/77592951007/

At the end of that article:

With the Lions idle this weekend, awaiting their first playoff assignment, Neal Rubin clearly has too much time on his hands. Reach him at NARubin@freepress.com.

Ha!

[whatever_gong82]

Recapping jobs Lions staffers interviewed for this weekend and a reminder how team's next opponent will be determined

Justin Rogers
Jan 12


The Detroit Lions had the weekend off, but coordinators Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson stayed busy with multiple interviews for head coaching vacancies.

Let’s catch you up on those confirmed and reported conversations, which were conducted virtually, per NFL rules.



Aaron Glenn interviews
Chicago Bears

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets


Additionally, the New England Patriots requested to talk to Glenn, but he declined the opportunity, according to the NFL Network.

There continues to be a lot of momentum for Glenn returning to New Orleans, where he finished his playing career and later served as an assistant coach. In the past week, he’s picked up endorsements from several of the franchise’s former players, most notably future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees, running back Reggie Bush, and three-time Pro Bowl linebacker Jonathan Vilma.


“He’s coached with Sean Payton, he’s coached with Dan Campbell," Brees said. "When you talk about culture builders, he’s been around guys that know how to do that. I think he would be a great choice.”

Of course, the Saints aren’t the only franchise Glenn has worked for in the past. He was drafted in the first round by the Jets and spent the first eight years of his playing career with the team. Then, before entering coaching, Glenn spent a year as a pro personnel scout with the team.


Longtime Jets safety and Glenn teammate Victor Green loves the idea of Glenn leading the franchise.

"This needs to be our coach," Green said. "He is so real and right. A lot of coaches don’t have this mentality. And I can speak to that firsthand. Hire the man. I may come out of retirement."


Ben Johnson interviews
Chicago Bears

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots


For the second straight offseason, Johnson is one of the most coveted options available. And just like last year, rumors about the Lions offensive coordinator taking another job are aggressively flying around.

The latest, from the NFL Network, has the Raiders pulling out all the stops to land Johnson as the team’s next coach.


“He has quickly emerged as the candidate to watch for Las Vegas, as the Raiders — in a search that prominently includes limited partner Tom Brady — are willing to wait as long as it takes to secure their potential future head coach,” Ian Rapoport reported.

The Raiders fired general manager Tom Telesco late last week and have more than $100 million in projected cap space to go along with the No. 6 pick in the draft. That creates an opportunity for a quick turnaround.


What the Raiders lack is a quality quarterback in place. The Jaguars can offer not only Trevor Lawrence, but some young and talented weapons around the quarterback in Brian Thomas Jr., and running backs Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby.

The Patriots, like the Raiders, have relatively bare cupboards. That said, second-year quarterback Drake Maye likely carries plenty of appeal.


Chris Spielman interviews
New York Jets

The news Spielman is drawing interest from the Jets surprised many Lions fans. When the legendary linebacker took the Lions job in 2020, he stated he wasn’t qualified to be a general manager. Later, in a sit-down with me in 2023, he noted he had no interest in other jobs in Detroit, loved his current role, and planned to step away after helping the team win a Super Bowl.


“I never succeeded as a player, and I have one more chance to succeed,” Spielman said. “Success is defined as winning a Super Bowl. I didn't succeed. I fell short. So, I have one more shot.

"...When Sheila (Hamp), Dan (Campbell) and Brad (Holmes) hold up a Super Bowl trophy — this is my No. 1 goal — and I'm sitting in the back thinking, 'I'm good. I'm done. See you,'" he said. "I'll be in Sanibel hanging out with a drink."


But a lot can change in two years. Spielman has undoubtedly learned a ton about the inner workings of a successful rebuild while playing a key role in overhauling the culture throughout the organization.

With brother Rick Spielman, who formerly served as the Vikings general manager, part of the search team for the Jets, it’s even less surprising Chris is getting a look for the vacancy. Of course, there's a lot of competition. He’s one of 13 candidates who have met with the team about the job, including former Lions personal executive and current Commander assistant GM Lance Newmark.


DeShea Townsend interviews
San Francisco 49ers

Townsend, who played more than a decade in the league and has coached defensive backs since 2011 at both the college and professional levels, helped orchestrate significant improvements in Detroit's pass coverage during his first year with the team.


There’s no obvious connection to Kyle Shanahan, but the 49ers coach praised Detroit’s year-to-year coverage improvements ahead of a Week 17 matchup with the Lions.

The 49ers fired first-year defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen last week. The next hire will mark the team’s fourth defensive coordinator in four years. Another candidate who has interviewed for the team’s vacancy is Robert Saleh, the former Jets coach who led the 49ers defense for four years prior to taking that position.



Hank Fraley interviews
Seattle Seahawks

One of the game’s most respected offensive line coaches, Fraley reportedly interviewed for the Seahawks offensive coordinator position last week.


Fraley has no overlap with Seahawks coach Mike McDonald, but the two presumably crossed paths when McDonald served as the University of Michigan’s defensive coordinator in 2021.

Fraley played 10 seasons in the NFL — starting 123 games at center for the Eagles, Browns and Rams — before moving into coaching. He’s held multiple jobs coaching linemen at the college and pro levels, joining the Lions as an assistant o-line coach in 2018 before taking over the room in 2020.


Under his tutelage, the team’s unit has developed into one of the league’s best, led by All-Pros Frank Ragnow and Penei Sewell, and complemented by veterans Taylor Decker, Graham Glasgow, Kevin Zeitler and Jonah Jackson across those campaigns.

According to Pro Football Focus, Seattle’s offensive line ranked 31st in the NFL last season. The team surrendered 54 sacks and averaged fewer than 100 yards per game rushing, finishing bottom-five in both categories


What’s next for the Lions?

The Lions hope to know their Divisional round opponent by the end of Sunday’s Wild Card slate. That will happen if either the Green Bay Packers or Washington Commanders can win on the road.

If the Packers beat the Philadelphia Eagles in a game set to kick off at 4:30 p.m., the Lions will host the Packers at Ford Field next weekend. And if the Packers lose, but the Commanders top the Buccaneers in Tampa on Sunday night, it will be Washington making the trip to Detroit.


In either of those scenarios, the Lions’ Divisional round game will most likely be played next Saturday.

If the NFC home teams — the Eagles and Buccaneers — take care of business on Sunday, the Lions must wait until Monday to learn their opponent. They would host the winner of the final game of the Wild Card round, between the Rams and Vikings, which has been moved to Phoenix, Ariz. as wildfires ravage Los Angeles.


A matchup against the Vikings/Rams at Ford Field would likely be held on Sunday. Jan. 19.

I’ll be setting up and participating in a live chat during the NFC games in the Detroit Football Network’s chat. Feel free to stop by.



Email: jrogers@detroitfootball.net

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[El Axe]

Was just reading an article yesterday where this guy was all about how DC’s decision making will be a big story for the playoffs and while it brings a lot of good it can be reckless, like when it cost them the NFC last year. It’s such bullshit. Froot always points this out, but the media still loves to reward the risk averse/cowardly punt crowd when it comes to the NFL.

I agree it annoys me, but part of me is like "I hope the rest of the NFL continues to give the Lions this major tactical advantage every game".

[Sanders Fan]

[whatever_gong82]

Matthew Stafford's secret was rocket fuel that revived Detroit Lions



Jeff Seidel
Detroit Free Press



Editor's note: This is part one of a three-part series on how the Detroit Lions became the best team in the NFC.


Matthew Stafford had a secret that would change everything for the Lions.

It was the end of the 2020 season and Stafford sat in a big conference room in the back corner of the Lions' headquarters.



Rod Wood, the Lions president, was meeting with a group of team captains to talk about the season. It was a chance to clear the air, as the organization was going through yet another massive change.

The Lions were searching for both a new coach and a new general manager after they had fired Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn.


“If there’s anything on your mind, as we are doing this search, we’ll do the best we can to keep you informed,” Wood told the captains.

The players went around the room, offering opinions.


“Everybody had a few things to say,” Wood remembers.

Everyone except Stafford. He was the face of the franchise and had just finished his 12th season in Detroit.


“And Stafford goes, ‘Well, I’d just really like to talk to you in private,’ ” Wood said.

So, they went into Wood’s office.


“He got very emotional and said, ‘I just want to be traded and I don't want to go through another regime change,’ ” Wood said.

Wood wasn’t stunned. He understood it and he quickly called owner Sheila Hamp and put her on speakerphone.


The Lions were coming off a 5-11 season, their third losing season in a row. Stafford had already been through three coaches: Jim Schwartz, Jim Caldwell and Patricia. None could figure out how to make the Lions a Super Bowl contender — they couldn’t figure out how to win a playoff game, a milestone the franchise hadn’t reached since 1991.


“He said, ‘I hope I can go someplace where I can win a Super Bowl, and I hope you can get enough for me that you can win one a couple years later,’ ” Wood remembers Stafford saying.


“ ‘We’ll do the best we can do to accommodate you,” Wood said. “You know, right now we are doing a GM and the head coach search. Can we keep this out of the public domain?’ ”

Stafford agreed.


“To his credit and his camp’s credit, they never said anything, and we never said anything,” Wood said recently, sitting behind his desk in that same office. “So every coach and GM interview we did, this was not something that was brought up.”

Wood leaned back in his chair.


“So that was a big moment,” he said, smiling.

If there is something that changed everything for this franchise, that was the key that unlocked everything.


“Now, we don't have a head coach,” Hamp said recently, recalling that moment while sitting in her office. “We don't have a general manager, we don't have a quarterback and it's COVID.”

Rattling off the challenges four years later, it sounds even more daunting to say it out loud.


“We'll work this out, no problem,” she said, with self-deprecating sarcasm — she has a warm sense of humor. “But actually, you know, as crazy as it was at the time, it was actually an opportunity to really clean house and start over. Let's really do what we say we're going to do and build it from the ground up; and that's really what happened.”

The results have been remarkable — the Lions just went 15-2 this regular season, captured the NFC North for the second straight year and earned the No. 1 seed entering the NFL playoffs for the first time. All this can be traced to that moment as the franchise enjoys the reward of this weekend's first-round bye.


All because they tore down the organization and built it back, topped off with the perfect pair of leaders: GM Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell.

“The two of them are just literally peas from the same pod,” Hamp said. “Watching them work together is a joy. They really are like brothers, and it's very cool. They don't always agree on everything, and that's fine, but they listen to each other, and then that's how they work, too.”


It’s an amazing story of transformation, turning a perennial loser into a championship favorite.

To chronicle how they got to this moment, the Free Press was granted unprecedented access in the first week of January to a small group of front office executives who made it happen yet who rarely talk to the news media.


Finding a 'noble cause'

When Hamp became the principal team owner in June 2020 — taking over for her mother, Martha Firestone Ford — she was straightforward about her intentions.


“I told my family from the get-go, I'm not going to do this unless I can really dig into what I think has gone wrong for the last however many years,” Hamp told the Free Press, sitting in her office at Lions headquarters in Allen Park. “My very first call was to a really good friend of mine, who I went to college with. … Sandy Cutler. He ran Eaton Corp for a long time. We were great friends. I always admired his leadership style.”

Hamp and Cutler went to Yale together and she asked him the billion-dollar question: “If you were me, how would you think about this and this job?”


Hamp considered Cutler a smart, bold leader. He started as a financial analyst and retired as chairman and chief executive officer of Eaton Corp., a $20.9 billion industrial manufacturer.

“He said, ‘Well, the first thing you need to do is to define your noble cause,' ” she remembers.


After much thought, she decided her “noble cause” was the city of Detroit, all the long-suffering fans. But there was something else Cutler said that was just as important. He told her, “once you've done that, find a few key people that buy into it, and then the rest should fall into place.”

She smiles, telling the story: “which is easier said than done.”

Here was another Cutler piece of wisdom: “Great leaders have the ability to translate challenges into opportunities,” Cutler told Fast Company magazine in 2012. “To connect the dots when others just see random facts; and the ability to inspire others around them to find creative, innovative solutions.”

The Lions were more than a challenge; they were a mess. A random series of dots. There were the haves — the people on the football side. And the have-nots — the business folks, most of whom had offices at Ford Field. The right hand wasn’t talking to the left. There were siloes and turf wars, no cohesion or connection.

It was a losing culture under a dark cloud of joyless mistrust.


Hamp had a lot of work to do, to say the least. “As far as the organization was concerned, I think I had the opportunity to look at it a little differently,” she said.

To find those creative solutions.


Sheila Hamp takes control

The lazy, easy narrative is Hamp learned from her parents' mistakes and did the opposite.

But that might be simplifying things too much. Mainly, because it’s all apples and oranges.


William Clay Ford, Hamp’s father, bought the Lions in November 1963. “The game changed so much, since the days when my dad bought them,” Hamp said. “It wasn't the business it's become.”

After her father died in 2014, Hamp’s mother took over when she was 88.


“It was just a little different,” Hamp said. “She was great. She particularly did a great job with the league.”

If there is one thing Hamp did learn from her mother, it was how to hold her own as a woman in a roomful of billionaire men.


But now, this was Sheila’s time — her shot to run the organization — and she fired Quinn and Patricia on Nov. 28, 2020, two days after a Thanksgiving loss to Houston.


In early December, Hamp interviewed three internal candidates for the GM job: vice president of player personnel Kyle O'Brien, director of player personnel Lance Newmark and director of pro scouting Rob Lohman.

It turned into a revealing, important moment for Hamp because they told her the problems in the organization.

“I didn't realize how bad it was until they told the truth,” she said.


Give her credit for truly hearing what they were saying.

Give her credit for having an open mind to consider what was wrong.


“It really opened my eyes,” she said. “I realized no one was talking. There was no communication between Allen Park and Ford Field.”

Or between the football side and the business side.


She started to realize she needed to strip the organization down to the studs and build it back again.

“We wanted a horizontal organization,” she said. “Everyone working together, collaborating, talking. And I realized that was not happening at all.”


Learning what makes real culture

After firing Patricia and Quinn, there were all kinds of questions.


“Who is the interview group?” Hamp asked. “How were we going to do this?”

One thing was clear — Hamp didn’t want to hire an outside firm to help identify candidates because they had already tried that and it didn’t work.


“It goes back to the (coach Jim) Caldwell days,” Wood said.

In 2015, after Firestone fired president Tom Lewand and GM Martin Mayhew, the Lions used outside help to pick a new GM.


“The rest of that season we didn't have a GM,” Wood said. “I was brand-new in this role, and working with Jim (Caldwell), and then trying to figure out how to hire.”

They brought in Ernie Accorsi, a longtime NFL executive, hoping he would identify somebody from a winning team who would bring winning to Detroit.


“Everybody tried to import a winning culture,” Wood said.

So, the Lions back then tried to import the Patriots Way, hiring Quinn and then he eventually hired Patricia, which didn’t work.


“I didn't really know that many people (around the NFL at that time),” Wood said. “I think I learned how important it is to know more people and not rely upon somebody who's not going to be here and have to live with the results. Ernie was very good, but he moved on.”


The Lions were left with the New England Patriots culture. Without the winning. Without the great coach, Bill Belichick. Without legendary quarterback Tom Brady.


And it failed spectacularly.

The lesson? Hamp and Wood discovered it’s impossible to bring in another team’s culture. You can’t import it. It has to grow from within.


“We decided we're not going to go to the league,” Hamp said. “We're not going to ask for their help. That's what happened before, right? Didn't work out too well. Yes, we can handle this.”

Hamp wanted Wood to be on the selection committee. That was a given.


“I've known Rod for many years,” Hamp said. “He was head of our family office before he became the president. We've worked together for a long time and I love Rod. He’s great. But we thought we need to — or I knew — I needed some help on the football side."

Hamp had no doubt that everybody they would interview would be qualified, but she worried about something else.


“How am I going to know if they're really blowing football smoke at me?” she asked.


“What do you think about Chris (Spielman)?” Wood asked about one of the greatest Lions to ever play.

“I think that'd be great,” she said.

Spielman, who had strong NFL contacts, was working as a TV analyst and still had a few games left on his contract.


“I actually sent him a text while he was calling a game,” Wood said. “I said ‘give me a call and let me run something by you.’ ”

At first, the plan was to have Spielman vet some candidates and help do interviews. Not much more than that.


“Then we started talking, and then he got all excited about it,” Wood said.

“Chris is sort of the consummate Detroit Lion, loves this team,” Hamp said. “So I called Chris, and sort of just talked about how we wanted to change things, how I saw it, and he was just intrigued at the idea of coming in and changing an organization.”


Spielman didn’t really know Hamp that well but he sensed her passion.

“Like a lot of people in Detroit, it was personal for her, obviously, because it's her family, and they own the team, and it was her shot at it,” he said. “For her to be able to assemble the amount of people, the right people, and put them in place, was very important to her. And you could hear her passion for Detroit. You could hear the passion for Lions fans and for the team. And she was just, ‘I think we got to do this. We have to do it.’


“So it was her resolve, and her love of the team and the city that really came through.”

The more they talked, the bigger the idea became. Spielman wanted to help in any way possible.


“Then that kind of just morphed into, would you want to come work here full-time?” Wood said. “That was within two days, basically.”

What would his role be?

“I said, ‘Well, we'll figure it out as we go,’ ” Wood said.


Searching for what they wanted

The four-person selection team was set: Hamp, Wood, Spielman and Mike Disner, a rising star in the organization.


Disner is an important name for fans to know because some believe he is positioned to become the next Lions president, whenever Wood retires. He interviewed for the Carolina Panthers GM job in 2024.

“Disner was fabulous,” Hamp said. “Our salary cap guru at the time.”

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