The Detroit Lions went from perennial doormat to curiosity to division champion to the top seed in the NFC. In 2025, they want to finish the job.
Opening training camp over the weekend, veteran running back David Montgomery said that following back-to-back playoff failures, the Lions need to take the next step this season.
"Everybody's tired of being close," Montgomery said on Sunday, via ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. "It's cool to be close at first, but you don't want to get comfortable with being close all the time.
"That's not what you want to be known for, especially when you know you've got the guys you've got on this team. You want to finish it, so this is the year for us. The year of the reckoning and the year that we choose that we need to finish."
In 2023, the Lions came within a half of making their first-ever Super Bowl before suffering an NFC Championship Game collapse. Last season came a disappointing Divisional Round bow-out after going 15-2 and securing the top seed in the NFC.
Veterans like Montgomery, who helped spearhead the Lions' renaissance under Dan Campbell, still feel the sting of last year's postseason loss to Washington.
"This is probably the hungriest that I have been because I feel like a lot of people kind of forget that I'm here in the offense, too," Montgomery said. "So, I'm not here to prove anybody wrong. I'm here to prove myself right and be the best teammate that I can be.
"But I've definitely got a big chip on my shoulder."
Last season, injuries ravaged the defense, contributing to the playoff disappointment. Detroit enters 2025 replacing two coordinators and a star center, is already dealing with injuries and has a wicked schedule. Not that any of that concerns Campbell.
"I'm still as enthusiastic as ever. I know these guys are," Campbell said. "There's a price to be paid to get yourself back into the dance -- back into the tournament -- and that will never change.
"If we let that slide at all, then we're going to be sitting here at home in January, and that's not what we want."
Detroit hasn't made the postseason in three consecutive campaigns since 1993-95.
