Louis Riddick: Lions Will Be Super Bowl Contenders in 2023
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After a record number of viewers witnessed the Detroit Lions defeat the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football, the hype train has officially left the station.
Playing well in a game that did not have any ramifications for the playoffs showed many outside of metro Detroit what the Lions and their culture is all about.
"The ball didn’t bounce our way in terms of us getting into the playoffs. After the game, I was proud of our guys," said Detroit general manager Brad Holmes. "I was proud of our organization. I was proud that we were able to end on a winning note in front of national TV and be able to give the world a sneak peak of really what we’re about. We’ve been on the Sunday 1 o'clock skirt all the time, so a lot of guys, they didn’t see us and what we were all about. And, I think everybody was able to see that. But, on the plane going back, yeah, I was excited."
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The expectations for the team have now reached an appropriate level, as many supporters and pundits expect the team to contend for the NFC North and a playoff berth in 2023.
ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick took it one step further, expressing he believes the team is in the conversation to win the Super Bowl next season.
"I'm going to say this now. I believe this team is a Super Bowl contender in 2023. I think what Dan Campbell is doing is just absolutely phenomenal, in terms of culture setting," Riddick said. "I think young offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, what he did with Jared Goff this season -- when Jared Goff had basically been thrown on the trash heap. He was blamed for everything that L.A. couldn't accomplish offensively out there with the Rams. You see what he did last night.
"Now, he's getting lauded for a lot of the things that the Detroit Lions are accomplishing," Riddick explained further. "Along with that great offensive line, those two running backs that can absolutely just bludgeon you and a defense that right now has some young players that are standing up and saying, 'Look, you better start noticing us.' Just like Jamaal Williams said in his postgame comments, look out for Detroit in 2023. I think they, for once, now are going to truly be looked at and be given the respect they deserve."
