Lions proprietor nonetheless believes in Dan Campbell, GM amid 1-5 begin

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Naturally, Detroit Lions proprietor Sheila Ford Hamp admits she’s pissed off with the 1-5 begin to the season, however she nonetheless feels that coach Dan Campbell and normal supervisor Brad Holmes are the precise folks to steer the rebuild.

Ford Hamp fielded questions from reporters for 4 minutes throughout Wednesday’s follow the place she was requested if their jobs might doubtlessly be in jeopardy irrespective of the tip results of the season.

“I consider within the management,” Ford Hamp mentioned.

Ford Hamp took over principal possession of the Lions in 2020 after serving as one of many workforce’s vice chairs from 2014 to ’19 to succeed her mom, Martha Firestone Ford, who stepped down.

#Lions proprietor Sheila Ford Hamp says she’s pissed off with 1-5 begin, however says he is actually believes in “our course of.”

“We’re gonna flip this factor round the precise approach,” she says. pic.twitter.com/LpkiprgBQA

— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) October 26, 2022

The Lions are coming off 24-6 loss at Dallas on Sunday — their fourth defeat in a row.

They’re 4-18-1 to this point by means of the second season of management with Campbell and Holmes, however she feels they’re making progress.

“It is simply this was an enormous teardown after which turnaround, and we actually — we’re solely a 3rd of the way in which by means of the season,” Ford Hamp mentioned. “We have got 11 extra video games to go, so I simply do not wish to break it, push the panic button and quit the ship as a result of I feel we have got the precise folks in place to tug this off, and I actually consider that. And I would not say that if I did not consider it.”

Ford Hamp known as this rebuild a tricky course of and mentioned it is laborious to remain disciplined as a result of “nobody hates dropping greater than I do, greater than my household does, however we have got to type of intestine by means of it.”

The Lions at the moment possess the longest present drought between postseason victories within the NFL, with their final playoff victory coming three a long time in the past on Jan. 5, 1992. They have not received greater than six video games or completed with a .500 file since 2017.

“Everybody’s pissed off. I am pissed off, however once more, I actually consider in what we have got and what we will be,” Ford Hamp mentioned. “It simply takes time.”

Coming into the bye in Week 6, Campbell mentioned he held a dialog with Ford Hamp the place they went by means of an intensive, deep dive of the roster — each good and dangerous — to have a transparent understanding of the workforce’s path. As an ex-Lions participant who skilled the dreadful 0-16 season in 2008, Campbell can relate to the long-suffering possession and fan base who’re ravenous for fulfillment and is attempting to alter the “Identical Outdated Lions” narrative regardless of yet one more tough begin.

“Yeah, I informed her all the pieces that I noticed, issues that we wanted to be higher at, offensively, defensively, particular groups, myself, and transferring ahead, follow,” Campbell mentioned. “So, actually, all the pieces. The whole lot that I had checked out our workforce and felt like we wanted to be higher at. I shared all of these ideas along with her and the place we have been going transferring ahead and that was it, so she’s been knowledgeable.”

Turnovers and key errors, such because the 5 turnovers within the second half of Detroit’s most up-to-date loss to Dallas, have been expensive this season. Nevertheless, Ford Hamp acknowledged the younger gamers on the roster and the way they’re experiencing rising pains. That is one of many many causes that she mentioned she has persistence with the present management.

“What I actually trust in is the method we went by means of within the first place after we employed Brad and Dan,” Ford Hamp mentioned. “It was extraordinarily thorough, and we actually consider we have provide you with the precise folks, so I can not touch upon different groups’ rosters or what that they had within the first place. All I do know is what we had and the place we’re going.”