Young Detroit Lions talk a big game about 'The Big Game'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Detroit Lions first round draft pick guard Laken Tomlinson addresses the media during a news conference on Friday, May 1, 2015 in Allen Park, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Never mind the fact that the Detroit Lions have never been to a Super Bowl, as the team's youngsters are ushering in a new era filled with confidence.
For example, Andrew Peacock, a former practice squad member who made the team as an undrafted rookie last year, has big expectations for the Lions in 2015.
"As a team, we're definitely expecting to go all the way," Peacock said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. "We got a great team, got a lot of young talent, got a lot of old vets that really control that locker room and even Coach (Jim) Caldwell, he's done an amazing job in transforming this team into what he wants and we definitely feel that we will definitely go a long way this year."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Another player who's brimming with confidence without ever playing a snap in the NFL is first-round rookie Laken Tomlinson.
"It's very possible that we can go to the Super Bowl this year and we're going to do everything that we can to get there," Tomlinson, a guard, told the Free Press.
Clearly, Lions head coach Jim Caldwell is working hard to build a championship atmosphere in Detroit. It seems to be working, based on how his young players have responded, but a proper attitude will only get a team so far. When the season begins, it comes down to wins and losses.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Although quarterback Matthew Stafford is just as optimistic about his team's future, his veteran experience allows him to analyze the situation realistically.
"I think everybody that comes into camp, that's everybody's goal," Stafford said, per the Free Press. "That's everybody's team goal, there's no question about it, but you've got to make incremental steps. You've got to set goals that are attainable for each day. If you just have a long-term goal with no plan to get there, it's not going to be successful. So we develop a plan, talk about it day in and day out on how to get better, and if you're playing your best football at the end of the year you give yourself a good chance."
The Lions finished 11-5 last season, their first under Caldwell's leadership. They qualified for the playoffs as a wildcard team but lost to the Dallas Cowboys, 24-20, in the first round.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}So far, it seems as though the stakes have been raised for 2015.
(h/t Detroit Free Press)