Detroit, MI
5 Reasons for Optimism for Lions’ 2024 Season
The Detroit Lions have their eyes on the prize at the start of the 2024 season.
Fourth-year coach Dan Campbell has guided the team from the bottom of the NFC North to the top, captivating the national audience and igniting the fan base in the process. Now, the Lions have realistic aspirations of winning the Lombardi Trophy in 2024.
Because of this, Detroit has plenty to be excited about as training camp begins this week.
Here are five reasons to be optimistic about the Lions’ chances to compete for the Super Bowl in 2024.
Culture changed
The Lions’ organization has been long associate with losing. In fact, it’s no secret that their two playoff wins last season marked the first time the team had won in the postseason in 30 years. Last year’s division title also snapped a three-decade span without one.
However, the tides are certainly changing in Detroit. Each of the last two Draft classes have been apart of teams that have only finished above .500, and Campbell’s record in three seasons is inching ever closer to .500 after a 3-13-1 finish to his first campaign.
The franchise once synonymous with losing is now changing its tune. With a young group of talent that only knows winning, the culture and expectations are shifting.
Additionally, Detroit’s young nucleus is very talented. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell have already inked massive second contracts, while Aidan Hutchinson may be on the brink. If their rookie seasons are any indication, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta and Brian Branch look like pillars of the future.
Having just went to the NFC Championship game, the Lions’ young collection of talent is building its winning pedigree.
Coaching staff continuity
Detroit has been fortunate to retain the majority of its coaching staff since Campbell took over. Several coaches, such as Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, Hank Fraley, Antwaan Randle El and Mark Brunell, have been with the Lions since or before Campbell took over.
As a result, young players can be treated to familiar schematics year over year. In a league full of turnover and changes, the Lions have been able to retain the coaching talent on their staff.
That’s not to say there hasn’t been interest elsewhere, as Johnson and Glenn have both garnered head coaching interest over the last two campaigns. However, both have returned to Detroit with aspirations of leading the organization to a title.
With Campbell leading the way and so many familiar faces still in tow, Detroit’s foundation on the coaching staff remains in solid shape.
Improved secondary
The Lions’ secondary has added several new pieces that are expected to change the fortunes of the unit in 2024. After being one of the NFL’s worst pass defenses a year ago, Detroit is relying on players such as Carlton Davis, Terrion Arnold, Amik Robertson and Ennis Rakestraw to compete in a better fashion.
Last year, the cornerback position had the feel of a revolving door of sorts. Detroit struggled to find a second option opposite Cam Sutton, who had struggles of his own. This year, Davis and Arnold are among the possible replacements.
Additionally, Emmanuel Moseley is back in the fold after an injury cost him most of last season. If he can emerge with a spot, it will be an encouraging sign given the depth that now resides in the cornerback room.
Offensive weapons
The Lions have a vast array of offensive weapons that allow them to score with any possible opponent. Ben Johnson’s offense boasts two talented running backs and a collection of pass-catchers with diverse skill sets.
With David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs providing a nice 1-2 punch in the run game, Detroit has to worry little about whether or not they can survive on the ground. Gibbs also brings a presence as a pass-catcher that the Lions want to explore more in 2024.
Through the air, the effort starts and ends with the connection Jared Goff has with Amon-Ra St. Brown. The All-Pro wideout surpassed 1,500 yards last season and looks the part of one of the league’s best at his position.
If Jameson Williams can emerge as a reliable second option, the Lions’ offense becomes all the more dangerous. Sam LaPorta offers a secure option at tight end, and Kalif Raymond and Donovan Peoples-Jones will battle for an increased workload at receiver.
Toughness in trenches
It’s no secret that the Lions have one of the league’s best offensive lines. Sewell and Taylor Decker give the team two solid bookend tackles, and the interior is headlined by one of the NFL’s best in Frank Ragnow.
As a whole, the unit has done an excellent job setting the tone for Detroit’s run-oriented scheme. They also have had plenty of success keeping Goff clean in the pocket. Last year, Sewell was one of the best pass-protecting tackles in addition to his prowess as a run-blocker.
Defensively, the Lions have a strong core foundation on the line as well. Aidan Hutchinson will bring the heat as a pass-rusher, and the addition of DJ Reader as the nose tackle could be a game-changer. With Reader occupying the blockers in the middle, players like Alim McNeill could be allowed to roam free or operate with less attention.
Because the Lions have committed so much to the trenches, they have the ability to dominate the line of scrimmage. By controlling this area of the game, they can put themselves in a position to dominate.
Detroit, MI
Bruce Campbell announces cancer diagnosis; ‘Fear not,’ he tells fans
Treatment will delay the Royal Oak-born actor’s plans to tour his new film ‘Ernie & Emma’ this summer.
Royal Oak-born movie star and cult hero Bruce Campbell announced on social media on Monday that he has been diagnosed cancer — a type that is “treatable” but not “curable,” he said.
“I apologize if that’s a shock — it was to me too,” the “Evil Dead” star, 67, wrote in a message posted to Instagram.
He went on to say “I’m not gonna go into any more detail,” and he didn’t. He said the public announcement had to do with scaling back appearances on his schedule, including tour dates behind his latest film, “Ernie & Emma.”
Campbell planned to show the movie June 5 at the Redford Theatre; as of Monday night, that date is still on the Redford schedule, but Campbell wrote in his note he plans to get “as well as I possibly can over the summer so that I can tour with my new movie ‘Ernie & Emma’ this fall.”
The movie is written, directed by and stars Campbell as a man who goes on a journey following the death of his wife. Campbell produced the movie alongside his wife, Ida Gearon, and filmed it in Oregon, where he now lives.
Campbell told The News in January he dedicated “Ernie & Emma” to his childhood moviemaking pals, including Scott Spiegel, who died of a heart attack in September 2025.
“It’s a callback to the carefree days of Super 8, where we could do whatever the f–k we wanted to do,” Campbell said of “Ernie & Emma.” “So I thought, ‘All the boys are responsible for this,’ so they’re all in there.”
Campbell got his start making movies around Metro Detroit with his childhood pal, Sam Raimi. Campbell starred in Raimi’s “Evil Dead” trilogy and has since appeared in most of Raimi’s films; Campbell makes a brief appearance in a photograph in the background of an early scene in Raimi’s latest, “Send Help.”
He’s also an author; Campbell’s autobiography “If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor” was published in 2001.
In his post on social media, Campbell thanked fans and said he was not out to elicit sympathy.
“Fear not, I am a tough old son-of-a-bitch and I have great support, so I expect to be around for a while,” he wrote.
agraham@detroitnews.com
Detroit, MI
Michigan State Police sends message to drivers after trooper involved in hit and run:
“Slow down and move over” is the message that Michigan State Police is sending to drivers after one of its troopers in a parked patrol car was struck while investigating a crash this weekend. The driver of that vehicle fled the scene.
Michigan State Police tells CBS News Detroit that we’re two months into the year, and it has had six incidents across the state where patrol cars were struck by oncoming vehicles. One of those incidents occurred on Sunday evening.
“Could have been much more tragic,” said MSP Lieutenant Rene Gonzalez, First District public information officer.
Gonzalez says on Sunday, an MSP trooper was near M-10 and Schaefer Highway in Detroit, simply doing his job, when his patrol car was hit from behind.
“Trooper was out there, and he was investigating a crash when, at the time, a Jeep SUV drove into the rear of the parked vehicle,” Gonzalez said.
The impact slid the trooper’s car into a concrete wall. The 29-year-old Detroit woman driving the Jeep SUV struck the center median, got out of the vehicle, and ran away.
“Not sure why they did it. Maybe not paying attention if they were distracted. They’re attempting to locate her at this time,” said Lt. Gonzalez.
The trooper walked away with minor injuries. Gonzalez says this incident is an example of why Michigan’s Move Over Law was put in place many years ago. The law, which went into effect in 2019, requires drivers to move over into the next lane and reduce their speed by at least 10 mph when emergency or service vehicles — police, fire, rescue, ambulance and road service — have their lights activated.
Drivers who are not able to move over are still required to reduce their speed.
“Trying to do our jobs, however, people are not paying attention. The law is easy. It’s simple. You see us, you see our lights activated, you have to slow down ten miles below the posted speed limit, and then if able, move over to the next occupied available lane,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez says crashes like this can be deadly and often avoided.
“One life lost over something that was a totally preventable crash, it’s way too much. We’re asking that you slow down and move over when you see our lights. It’s a simple message that we’ve been pushing out for years,” he said.
Sunday’s crash remains under investigation. Michigan State Police detectives are still working to track down the 29-year-old suspect.
In the meantime, police are out enforcing the Move Over Law.
Detroit, MI
Rex Satterfield’s 1956 Bel Air takes 2026 Ridler Award in Detroit
The impact and history of autos in Detroit, The Motor City
Here are some facts about Detroit’s auto industry.
Rex Satterfield hoped to see his 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible snag one of the BASF Great 8 finalist spots at this year’s Detroit Autorama. But winning the Ridler Award — one of the highest honors in the custom car business — was something he didn’t foresee.
“It’s just overwhelming right now,” said the man from Russellville, Tennessee, as he left a ballroom at downtown’s Huntington Place and made his way back to the show floor on Sunday, March 1. “We weren’t expecting this.”
Getting a car recognized as one of the BASF Great 8 vehicles is a win in and of itself as they are considered the “absolute pinnacle of custom automotive craftsmanship worldwide,” according to the show. The cars undergo an intensive judging process.
And this effort had an unexpected and emotional complication with the passing in December 2024 of the original builder, Jeff Wolfenbarger, who was battling cancer even as he continued working on the car named “Elegant Lady.”
Kevin Riffey of Kevin Riffey’s Hot Rods and Restorations in Knoxville stepped in to finish the work Wolfenbarger started. He’d had two other cars in the past make the Great 8. He said the goal with this vehicle was straightforward, calling it a “purpose-built show car.”
From its prominent spot at the front of the show floor, “Elegant Lady” sported a creamy exterior, dubbed Light Coffee. The car carries a 1,000 horsepower Don Hardy race engine. The gauges, wheels and gas tank are custom, and the dash is from a 1956 Pontiac.
Satterfield plans to show the car around some and enjoy the moment with it. He said he’s been a car guy since he was a little kid.
The Ridler Award, named in honor of Detroit Autorama’s first publicist, Don Ridler, comes with a $10,000 prize. It was awarded on the final day of this year’s Detroit Autorama, which ran Friday, Feb. 27-Sunday, March 1. This was the event’s 73rd year.
Eric D. Lawrence is the senior car culture reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Send your tips and suggestions about cool automotive stuff to elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters.
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