There is an argument out there that the Lions have won the offseason.

It certainly stands to reason that there aren't many teams out there that have put together better offseason performances than the Lions this year, but it is also true that teams don't win in April.

The Lions might be favorites to win the NFC North and look like a very good team on paper, but none of that matters if the team doesn't come into the season hungry.

Projections are great, but living off of projections and playing to meet or exceed projections are two very different things.

Veteran lineman Taylor Decker explained this mentality well:

Taylor Decker on playoff expectations for the Lions:

"I remember when we got shit on because we won three games and people thought we were a joke. That's what I remember. …It's great in theory, but we haven't done it yet."

Knows the team needs to prove it.

— Colton Pouncy (@colton_pouncy) April 18, 2023

Decker has seen this team in some really bad situations. It may not be 0-16, but it certainly has felt close.

It doesn't matter to him. Decker isn't letting the hype for this season cause him to forget those bad days, and that is something the Lions desperately need from their leaders in keeping the focus on the prize.

No one on the planet should expect a franchise like the Lions to get too caught up in their own fanfare after the last thirty years, but it is important that this team can find a way to keep the edge despite coming into a season as a favorite in more ways that one.

Assuming everyone on the team has the same mentality as Decker, the Lions should be in a good place going into the 2023 NFL season.