As he exited the field at Levi’s Stadium following the Detroit Lions’ NFC Championship Game loss to the San Francisco 49ers, receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown experienced a feeling he didn’t want to experience once more: defeat.
The Lions had won two playoff games in one postseason since 1957 and their first division title in over thirty years, but St. Brown was not pleased.
The Lions’ goal going forward is to deliver a Super Bowl to Detroit.
During the Pro Bowl Games, St. Brown referred to it as “unfinished business”.
Greetings from the NFL offseason
Following the defeat on January 28, St. Brown remarked, “I don’t think any one of us wants to feel that again if we can.” “I believe that our current motivation will be sufficient for the upcoming year. Overall, it was a terrific year, but if you don’t win the whole thing, it’s all for nothing.
“Winning the Super Bowl is everyone’s first priority every year, and if you don’t, you kind of fail that season. It makes no difference if you lose in this NFC championship game or if you are eliminated from the playoffs. We’ll be prepared.
Defense will be one of the key aspects this offseason that needs to be improved. In addition to adding additional skill at cornerback, the Lions need to improve their secondary and find a game-changing player to go with Pro Bowl edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson.
In the league, Detroit’s defense surrendered 23.2 points per game, enough for 23rd place, and 7.8 yards per pass attempt, good for 31st place.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes is aware that the team needs to focus on that area if it hopes to advance to the Super Bowl, but he also has confidence in the players’ potential to get better.
“On defense, we have a lot of young players. And notice how aggressively we play. I believe that our identity is unquestionable. However, I don’t think there’s a significant talent gap,” Holmes stated on Monday at his season-ending news conference. “We’re basically collaborating in a vague way. But everything is a team effort. Our approach to defense and offense are same. Our perspective on special teams is the same. As we work to assemble a team, I’m aware that everyone wants every task to be matched.
“Your pass-rusher, a Pro Bowler, has 100 pressures and double-digit sacks. The goal of pass-rusher pairing is universal. You want to match up a D-tackle who was headed for sacks and possibly a Pro Bowl season before he got hurt with that player. You wish to couple up with your young, promising safety. Everyone wants to, and we all want it, I promise. We have similar goals in mind. Our goal is to have not only the frontline depth of all 11 starters, but also extremely high-quality depth throughout.
In addition, the Lions would be better suited adding more depth to the offensive line because guards Graham Glasgow, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, and Josh Jackson might all leave via free agency. Lions quarterback Jared Goff had a career resurgence, throwing for 4,575 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions while being well-protected.
With one year left on his deal, he also became the third quarterback in Lions history to win multiple postseason games. He has also indicated his desire to stay in Detroit permanently.
According to Holmes, they have talked about the potential for an extension but haven’t made a decision as of yet. Still, the Lions front management has never wavered in its belief that Goff is their quarterback of the future.
“I didn’t understand why, in his second year as a full-time starter, he got to a Super Bowl and it was the turning point in his career. Holmes said of Goff, “And so, then when he came to us, I always had belief.” Therefore, we are not surprised by what he did last year or even the year before. I simply understand his wiring.
“I am aware of his skill, leadership, mental and physical toughness, and his qualities; I believe that his teammates and peers also notice these qualities in him. Thus, I’m thrilled for him and incredibly proud of everything that he has accomplished.”
The fact that the Lions kept both coordinators is another encouraging indicator for the next campaign. Both defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson were seriously considered for head coaching positions, but they ultimately decided to stay put. According to Holmes, it’s an indication that the Lions are creating a “great culture” that coaches wish to stick around in.
Hutchinson was relieved to hear that both boys were returning. He believes that having a coordinator for longer periods of time helps the defense become more adept at the system and prepared to advance.
“I’m not sure if there’s anything we can do at this time. Hutchinson said to ESPN during the Pro Bowl Games, “I feel like what we did last season and the experience that we had and the experience that we have now going into the NFC championship.” “If we make it to the playoffs, I think that experience alone will get us a long way the next year. Thus, having that experience is what I believe to be most crucial.”
