Lions winning in ways they haven't in Super Bowl era after finally finding the right leaders

Sheila Ford Hamp stepped up to support general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell when the Detroit Lions were 4-18-1 under their leadership.

Back then, there were doubts Detroit got it right.

In Hamp's first year as team owner, she gave Holmes his first chance to run an NFL front office and Campbell his first opportunity to be a full-time head coach.

Even though the early results were poor, Hamp made it clear she still believed in the duo.

"I think we've got the right people in place to pull this off," Hamp said on Oct. 26, 2022, encircled by reporters gathered near an end zone of the team's indoor field.

Kicking off the franchise's first game week as a No. 1 seed in the NFL playoffs and preparing to play Washington on Saturday night in the divisional round, Campbell is thankful for the pivotal moment.

"It meant a lot that she was willing to go out there and really put her neck on the line for us because she didn't have to do that," Campbell said Monday in an interview with The Associated Press. "And honestly, I didn't expect her to do that.

"It reemphasized that she trusted me and she had my back — and Brad's back. It gives you that extra oomph, that extra bit of oxygen you need to continue to go."

The Lions lost their next game after Hamp's vote of confidence, then they became one of the league's best teams. They are 37-10 since Week 9 of the 2022 season and only the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs have more victories.

Detroit's run includes winning two playoff games in one postseason for the first time since winning the 1957 NFL title.

The Lions won a franchise-record 15 games this past season, an unprecedented two straight division titles and are the BetMGM favorites to win the Super Bowl for the first time.

Only fans in their mid-70s or older can possibly remember them being this good.

Detroit was an NFL powerhouse in the 1950s, winning three titles in a six-season stretch. Then, the franchise was a league laughingstock for many years.

Despite having Hall of Famers such as Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson, the Lions won only one playoff game from 1958 through the 2022 season. They became the league's first 0-16 team in 2008, hitting rock bottom shortly after firing general manager Matt Millen.

Former owner William Clay Ford, who gave Millen a contract extension during his tenure, died in 2014. His wife, Martha Firestone Ford, took over the team before stepping aside in the summer of 2020 and putting her daughter, Sheila, in charge.

Five months later, Hamp showed leadership the franchise often lacked.

She fired general manager Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia, days after she was seen covering her eyes during Quinn and Patricia's final game during the 2020 season.

Less than a month later, Hamp hired Chris Spielman as a special assistant to her and team president Rod Wood and empowered the former Lions linebacker to be a key part of the search for a general manager and coach.

A few months after Holmes was hired, his first major move was a blockbuster.

He granted quarterback Matthew Stafford's wish to be traded, sending him to the Los Angeles Rams. The Lions acquired Jared Goff along with a pair of first-round picks, leveraging those assets to land Jahmyr Gibbs, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta among other players.

In Holmes' first draft in Detroit, he took offensive tackle Penei Sewell No. 7 overall and receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown in the fourth round and both were named All-Pro last week for the second straight year. Since then, Holmes has had many more hits than misses in the draft.

"He's a master evaluator," Campbell told the AP.

Players ultimately are responsible for wins and losses, but Sewell said Holmes and Campbell deserve a lot of credit for the team's turnaround.

"It's very important if you want to think about our success and why we've been having it," he said.

Campbell grabbed headlines in his opening news conference when he said his players would bite kneecaps.

Behind the scenes, Campbell earned the respect with a relentless work ethic, total transparency and an infectious personality while coaching with a fearlessness on fourth down that flies against convention.

Campbell, who consistently deflects praise, said Hamp's leadership is a huge factor in the team's turnaround.

"She's been very genuine, very humble, very driven and competitive," Campbell told the AP. "When you find a person that has all of those traits, that's rare. I appreciate her.

"She's the type of person that makes you really want to be the very best you can be. All of this, it was really her vision with where we're at."

Goff, sporting a NFC North champion shirt and cap after last Sunday night's win over Minnesota, said the franchise's leadership has been amazing.

"I always think back to when she stood in front of all you guys and spoke that week and that was as strong as it gets," Goff said. "Putting her faith in Dan and Brad and all of us.

"Lot of owners won't do that. They don't do that. It's a lot easier to pull the plug in certain situations so yeah, what she's done and then obviously it trickles down to Brad and Dan and all of us."