Dan Campbell’s predecessor suggests his players didn’t ‘believe’ they could win

Dan Campbell is on the precipice of already going down as one of the most accomplished football coaches in Detroit Lions history. Since arriving, the head coach has gotten his team to the doorstep of the Super Bowl and is in the lead for the top seed in the NFC. He was the first to succeed, but he wasn't the first to try.

Before Campbell, the Lions experimented with one of the top coaches on the Bill Belichick coaching tree, Matt Patricia. Speaking on a December 5 edition of "Good Morning Football," Patricia gave his opinion on why Campbell was able to win.

Matt Patricia: [00:00:12] "Give credit to Dan Campbell in what he was able to do to just get the entire building to follow what he wanted to do, believe in what they were preaching, go out, work hard," he said.

"Look, we all know how it is in the NFL as you're going through, you get a little bit of success. You get a little bit of that belief. ... Sometimes it just needs a little bit of a spark, a little bit of belief," he added.

Based on his logic, the Lions under his command lacked that "belief," considering the team went 14-33-1 in seasons in which he coached them. Since Campbell has arrived, they have gone 35-27, including a 32-14 run over the past three seasons.

Dan Campbell's 11-1 Lions on deck for intense gauntlet to finish 2024 season

Dan Campbell at Detroit Lions v Indianapolis Colts - Source: Getty

The Lions have steamrolled into December with a nearly perfect record. However, they now have a tsunami of difficult opponents to finish the season. First up, the Lions face the division rival 9-3 Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football with everything to play for in regard to the division race.

Then, they face Josh Allen and the Bills who own the only loss for Patrick Mahomes in 2024. Following that, they face a Chicago Bears team full of players playing for their jobs.

Then, to wrap up the year, they face the San Francisco 49ers in a game that could be a mental hurdle as the team that felled them in the playoffs last year. Lastly, they face the Minnesota Vikings in their building.

If any of the above quotes are used, credit "Get Up," and H/T Sportskeeda.