Detroit Lions fan confidence wavering after blowout loss to Bengals

For the most part, Detroit Lions fans remain trusting of the process with the team, despite an 0-6 start. As we learned last week, head coach Dan Campbell remains wildly popular, sporting a 95 percent approval rating with fans, according to our SB Nation Reacts poll. General manager Brad Holmes isn’t far behind with a 87 approval rating.

But last Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals was Detroit’s worst game of the year, and for the first time, it looked like the team may have given up toward the end of the game. By the time the dust had settled, Detroit had lost 34-11 in a game that wasn’t even competitive beyond the second quarter.

That game has clearly tested Lions fans’ resolve. For most of the season, fan confidence in the direction of the franchise has remained steadily above 80 percent. However, after Sunday’s shellacking, fan confidence has dropped all the way to 73 percent. That’s still a very high confidence rating considering the team is winless—it ranks 16th among all NFL teams—but it does show that some patience is running thin in Detroit.

If there’s a bright side to look upon, it’s that the rest of the NFC North isn’t feeling very good these days. Minnesota Vikings fans have just a 36 percent confidence rating despite a 3-3 record, while the Chicago Bears, also 3-3, only have the faith of 42 percent of their fans. Green Bay Packers fans are obviously pretty happy with their 5-1 record (79 percent confidence level), but we’ll see how they feel if/when Aaron Rodgers leaves.

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