Grit. The strength of character. The exact word preached on day one by a psycho-looking, behemoth of a man named Dan Campbell. He walked straight into the Lions’ den and began changing the culture one day at a time, and now the Lions are thought of as one of the best teams in the league. That’s something most Lions fans born before 2021 could never have imagined. But behind the why and the grit, Campbell has shaped these young men into hardworking, gritty players.
The word grit stemmed from a time when the Lions were doing anything they could just to avoid being the NFL’s punchline. Once they rose above those expectations, the word never fizzled. In fact, it gained momentum — so much so that the Motor City Gritties became a trend. Even the Detroit Pistons picked it up as fuel.
And grit hasn’t just shaped the players and coaches. It’s spilled into the fans. Into sick kids pushing through. Into tired parents. Into blue-collar folks all over the state. So it’s not surprising at all that after every Lions win this season, we’ll hand out The Grit Awards.
After a game for the ages on Monday night, there’s no shortage of Lions who deserve to win a Gritty. Detroit had no business walking into Baltimore and getting their first win ever against the Ravens there — their first win in the city limits since 1977 (vs. the Colts), and their first win over the Ravens anywhere in almost exactly 20 years. The national media didn’t believe in them. Most Lions fans didn’t truly believe. Everyone had this one marked down as a Ravens win… until the Lions came in and stole it.
That was on the backs of many players. Football is a team sport. But three stood out. So without further ado:
Grit Performer #3: LB Jack Campbell
Jack Campbell, the man with no drip (his words), came through dripping in grit. Through the first three weeks, it’s clear — he’s the Lions’ best linebacker by a country mile. Much like Roy Kent from Ted Lasso: he’s here, he’s there, he’s everywhere.
People scoffed when Brad Holmes took him in the first round. “First-round linebackers have no value,” they said. Holmes is getting the last laugh now. Campbell shut down Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry all game long, leading the Lions with 8.5 tackles.
And when the defense made three straight stops on their own two-yard line, it was Campbell who came flying into Lamar’s face on fourth down, forcing a fumble and swinging momentum. No flash, no drip — just pure grit.
Grit Performer #2: DL Al-Quadin Muhammad
Lions fans have spent all offseason worrying about the edge rushers. They wanted Holmes to spend big across from Hutchinson. Instead, he waited until the fifth round, only for that rookie to get sidelined. They held out hope for Za’Darius Smith, but he signed elsewhere. That left Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, and Al-Quadin Muhammad as the main three.
Then Davenport went down. Opportunity knocked, and Muhammad kicked the damn door in.
After notching a sack against Chicago last week, Muhammad looked ready. This week, he erupted. 2.5 sacks. Constant pressure. Relentless grit against one of the best offensive lines in football. He helped contain Lamar — a QB who had only lost to two NFC teams his entire career before Monday — and he held his ground against Derrick Henry.
This front, with Campbell cleaning up behind Williams and Reader and Muhammad and Hutchinson collapsing the edges, looked flat-out glorious.
Grit Performer #1: RB David Montgomery
The first Lions back to rush for 150+ yards and two touchdowns in a game since James Stewart in 2002 — the only others to do it being Stewart and Barry Sanders. That’s rare company.
Alongside Jahmyr Gibbs, Montgomery is part of the first RB duo since 1960 (Jim Brown and Bobby Mitchell, Cleveland Browns) to combine for 250+ scrimmage yards and three TDs each through three games. On Monday, both scored twice — the first Lions RB duo to do so in a single game since 1936.
Montgomery, once cast aside after an injury slowed him last year, came back running harder than ever. Gibbs dazzled with speed, but Montgomery was the hammer. His 70-yard burst, his bruising runs, his willingness to carry the load — it was grit in its purest form.
On a night when the Lions needed a backbone, Montgomery was it. Stats are nice. History is nice. But grit is forever.
Wrapping Up
Every week, every win, every time the Lions refuse to quit, the Grit Awards will be waiting. At the end of the season, we’ll look back and see exactly which Lions bled the most grit for the Honolulu Blue.