Lions out to build upon 2022 turnaround in opener on TSN

The Detroit Lions had a roller coaster of a season in 2022. 

It started with an appearance on HBO's Hard Knocks in the preseason, where speeches by head coach Dan Campbell and running back Jamaal Williams during the program ignited hope and interest for a franchise forever synonymous with mediocrity. 

Then the season started and everything crumbled.

The Lions stumbled to a 1-6 start behind a league-worst defence that surrendered over 32 points per game in its first seven contests. However, in Week 9 against the Green Bay Packers, Detroit showed a glimmer of hope - they held the high-flying Packers offence down and intercepted future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Rodgers three times in an impressive 15-9 victory over a division rival. 

From there, everything rounded into place: Detroit went on an 8-2 run in their final 10 games to finish the season with a winning record for the first time since 2017 and only the sixth time in the 21st century. 
 

Only six teams experienced a bigger increase in points per game from their first seven games played and their final 10 than the Lions did - with the Cowboys' jump from 19.1 to 33.3 the best by a wide margin. On the other side of the ball, the Lions' cut from 32.1 points allowed per game down to 20.2 was the best by a wide margin. 

The Lions are bringing back all key components from their coaching staff from last year - Campbell as the head coach, Ben Johnson as the offensive coordinator and Aaron Glenn as the defensive coordinator.

You can watch the Detroit Lions open up the 2023 NFL season at the Kansas City Chiefs LIVE on TSN1, TSN.ca and the TSN App with coverage starting at 7p.m. ET / 4p.m. PT.    

Johnson was a name that generated a lot of head coaching interest from other teams in the offseason, including the Houston Texans where he had their first interview of potential candidates. 

Johnson manufactured the fifth-ranked scoring offence in the NFL last year, and they will be adding two key pieces into the fold this year in the form of 12th-overall draft pick Jahmyr Gibbs at running back and last year's 12th-overall selection Jameson Williams at wide receiver.

Williams played in just six games, totaling just 78 snaps after recovering from ACL surgery in the off-season - but he will miss the first six games of this year due to suspension over the NFL's gambling policy.

The defence ranked ninth in the NFL in points allowed over the final 10 games and will look to changes things with a revamped secondary. The Lions shipped out defensive backs DeShon Elliott, Mike Hughes and Jeff Okudah to bring in Cameron Sutton, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Emmanuel Moseley in an effort to rejuvenate last year's 30th-ranked passing defence. 

Part of the reason for the turn around last year midway through the season was turnovers - the Lions stopped turning the ball over and the defence especially stepped things up in that category. 
 

Of the top-10 teams in terms of turnover differential in the NFL last season, seven qualified for the playoffs. The Lions finished tied for fourth in that category at +7. 

Of course any NFL team would hope to play to an .800 winning percentage over any period, let alone for an entire year. The Lions enter the 2023 season with a marquee matchup on the road against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

If they can replicate their end-of-season success - or come close to it - this is what they would compare with for division winners from a season ago:
 

The Lions certainly played like a playoff team in the second half of the season last year (as their 8-2 record clearly indicates), but now they're tasked with playing that way for the full 17-game schedule in order to make the playoffs for the first time in six seasons.