Can Lions Rebuild as Fast as Cincinnati Bengals?
The Cincinnati Bengals, a year removed from a 4-11-1 campaign, will be representing the AFC in Super Bowl LVI.
Does it mean there's hope for the Lions, coming off a 3-13-1 season, to rebuild as quickly and reach the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history?
I know it's hard to believe for a franchise that last won a playoff game during the 1991 season. But, yes, there is hope for the rebuilding Detroit squad.
The transition for the Lions from a rebuilding team to a successful one is not going to happen overnight, though.
The Detroit fanbase is going to have to have patience with the Brad Holmes-Dan Campbell regime.
The duo just finished its first season of being in charge in the Motor City, and both made some notable misfires.
Holmes did a rather erroneous job of addressing the wide receiver position in free agency last offseason, adding two guys that failed to suit up for more than one combined regular season game in 2021: Breshad Perriman and Tyrell Williams.
He also drafted two defensive linemen that struggled to make much of an impact as rookies: Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill.
As for Campbell, he's going to have to improve on his in-game decision-making.
There were far too many instances this past season in which the first-year head man was overaggressive with his play-calling and cost the Lions prime field position.
Subsequently, he showcased that he's going to need more time to become a competent NFL head coach (whether Campbell takes that next step in his coaching career is another story, however).
Regardless, though, the point is that he needs to be given time in order to grow into the type of coach that can guide Detroit on a deep playoff run.
The Bengals gifted head coach Zac Taylor with that opportunity, and the franchise was rewarded for it with a Super Bowl appearance in his third season on the sidelines.
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Cincinnati took a risk in doing so, with Taylor going a combined 6-25-1 in his first two years with the Bengals (2019 and 2020).
Along with being patient with Campbell and likely going through a downright awful couple of seasons to start off his tenure, Detroit is going to have to find its Joe Burrow -- easier said than done.
Burrow, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, has put the Cincinnati franchise on his shoulders, and has seemingly elevated the play of the entire organization with his superb play.
Albert Cesare, The Enquirer, USA TODAY NETWORK
The second-year passer, affectionately known as "Joe Cool," is one tough, cigar-smoking son of a gun that backs up his off-the-field bravado with his dynamite arm, which has a penchant for making the big-time throw when the Bengals most need it.
And now, the LSU product has Cincinnati in the Super Bowl for the first time since 1988, when the then-Boomer Esiason-led franchise lost to the San Francisco 49ers, 20-16.
It's been a meteoric rise for the Bengals, whose coaching staff was coaching in the Senior Bowl just two years ago, just like Campbell and his staff are this week.
To Campbell, Cincinnati has laid a blueprint for the Lions to follow, as they attempt to turn around the franchise.
"You definitely look at that (what the Bengals have done)," Campbell told reporters this week in Mobile, Ala. "It's living proof that it can be done."
Now, it's all about implementing a roster construction plan that can be executed by Holmes and Detroit's front office. An important aspect of this will be identifying what areas of the roster need the most help.
"We're doing it. We've begun to do that," Campbell said. "We'll go through this process over the next month. You start to figure out, 'What do we really need help at?'"
Whether it's through the upcoming NFL Draft or free agency, Detroit will have a busy offseason addressing its various needs on both sides of the ball.
If the Lions can make the right moves and find their franchise passer, aka a Burrow-type QB, they'll be able to expedite their rebuild and have a chance to experience a Cincinnati-esque turnaround.
However, let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Campbell and Holmes aren't going to turn the Lions into winners overnight, and the team is likely going to struggle mightily once again in 2022.
More losing is going to happen first (and probably a lot of it). But, if the rebuild is constructed in the right fashion, there is a chance -- seriously -- that Detroit, in the near future, achieves something it never has: making a trip to the Super Bowl.
Until then, Lions fans, feel free to live vicariously through Burrow and the Bengals.
