Where the Lions are, the Broncos hope to be
Dec 16, 2023, 11:07 AM
DETROIT — Here in Motown, the protege provided the template for the mentor.
The Detroit Lions, helmed by coach Dan Campbell, have lost two of their last three games, so they’re in a momentary rut. But that doesn’t mean they’re down. Campbell, a protege of Broncos coach Sean Payton, understands the same concept of which the Broncos were reminded after their loss to Houston: a defeat or two doesn’t have to change the overall arc; it can be a hiccup that doesn’t reflect the larger body of work.
“They had a year and a half where it was a struggle, and he never blinked,” said Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, whose office in New Orleans was next to Campbell’s for five seasons they shared on the Saints staff. “And they’ve turned it around and they’re one of the better teams in the NFL.”
Campbell learned under Sean Payton — first as a player, then most recently as a coach. The Lions hired him in 2021 directly from the New Orleans Saints.
“I know Dan very well. His office was right next to mine in New Orleans for five years,” Lombardi said. “What you see from him in the press conferences — that toughness and grit and sense of humor — that’s who he is all the time. You can see that this team has taken his personality on: the toughness, the grit.”
And as it turns out, they are an example cited by Payton of a turnaround. Because …
17-6
… is the Lions’ record since their 1-6 start last year. Their turnaround wasn’t just an end-of-the-season, too-little, too-late blip. It was built on bedrock, not sand.
“Dan Campbell has built something in that building that we are building here,” said Broncos tight end Adam Trautman, who was a part of the Saints for Campbell’s final season on Payton’s staff, in 2020.
“Obviously, we tried to mirror the message off of what they did last year. And year, we’re following the same track. Both teams pride themselves on being super physical and making the other team buckle their chin strap up a little extra tight.”
And while Detroit’s defense is struggling with injuries, they nevertheless average more than 30 points a game when they play in venues that have a roof.
Ford Field, the venue for Saturday’s game, is enclosed.
331.6
Yardage per game allowed by the Broncos defense since Week 6. That ranks 15th in the NFL, but it doesn’t reflect the Broncos’ effectiveness. What does is the amount of touchdowns allowed in that span …
12
Denver has allowed just 1.7 touchdowns per game in its last seven contests. Only Minnesota (9) has yielded fewer trips to the end zone than the Broncos over the last eight weeks.
Meanwhile, the Lions are one of just three teams — Miami and San Francisco are the others — who have at least 20 touchdowns via both the run and the pass.
