Lions GM Brad Holmes: DET Isn't 'Scared' of Expectations, Says Hype Is 'Earned'

The Detroit Lions are entering this year with tremendous hype after winning eight of their final 10 games last season.

Lions general manager Brad Holmes isn't worried about the weight of the outside noise, though, since he believes his team has earned those expectations.

"We're not scared of the expectations," Holmes said Friday, per ESPN's Eric Woodyard on Friday. "The expectations are earned through, I think, what we've built and what we've done up until this point in terms of how we finished the end of the season and through our player acquisition process. But now we've got to just prove them right."

The Lions began 1-6 last year but finished hot and ended 9-8, their first winning record since 2017. Detroit was even in position for a potential playoff berth in the last week of the season before losing on a tiebreaker to the Seattle Seahawks for the seventh and final NFC seed.

The Lions turned the page to a new era in 2021 by adding Holmes, a former Los Angeles Rams executive, as its new general manager. He brought Dan Campbell aboard as the team's new head coach.

Detroit endured a 3-13-1 season to start but tripled its win total in 2022 thanks to the talent brought aboard during the Holmes era.

Draft stars include offensive tackle Penei Sewell, defensive tackle Alim McNeill, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and defensive back Kerby Joseph.

This year's class is potentially stacked with talent as well thanks to running back Jahmyr Gibbs, linebacker Jack Campbell and tight end Sam LaPorta.

The Lions also added numerous players who jumpstarted a formerly moribund offense, including quarterback Jared Goff and running back Jamaal Williams (now a New Orleans Saint).

Given the team's talent and hot finish, the Lions have become the clear favorite to win the NFC North, something the team has never done. Detroit last won a division in 1993, when it took down the old NFC Central.

We'll soon find out where these Lions are at soon enough when they visit the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday to open the season.