Returning from their bye week, the Detroit Lions are preparing to enter a critical 10-game stretch to close out the season. The team resumed practice on Tuesday, facing a demanding schedule that includes five playoff contenders over the next seven weeks.
Quarterback Jared Goff underscored the team’s sense of urgency as they enter the season’s final phase. “You come back from the bye and it’s go time,” Goff said. “There’s no time to really fix things or make up for lost time. We’ve done that already at this point and it’s time to go.” He added that the team is already dialed in, describing Tuesday’s session as “one of our better practices all year.”
At 5-2, the Lions are widely regarded as one of the NFL’s premier teams, a status reflected in numerous national power rankings. The league’s official website and Fox Sports maintained Detroit at the No. 1 spot, while ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Pro Football Talk, and The Athletic all have them ranked at No. 2.
Head coach Dan Campbell stated that the team is not influenced by external praise or expectations, focusing instead on internal goals. “It’s not about expectations, it’s about our standards,” Campbell explained. “The standards are the standards, and it’s about us playing to those standards, and that’s the most important thing.”
Campbell did acknowledge the challenge ahead, noting he recently reviewed the highly competitive NFC standings with his players. “This thing’s about to shake out within the month of November,” he said. “You’re going to start seeing the risers and fallers, and a lot of these teams are playing each other. We’re one of them.”
The team’s success has been powered by an elite offense that ranks third in the NFL, averaging 30.7 points per game. While its third-down efficiency ranks 22nd, the unit’s overall productivity has been a key factor in their strong start.
As the two-time defending NFC North champions who were just four points away from a Super Bowl appearance last season, the Lions understand the high stakes of the coming weeks.
“It really is just handle your business,” Campbell said. “And the bottom line is find a way to win your division.”
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