Survey results: Lions fan confidence among highest in the league

This week’s SB Nation Reacts survey focused on our weekly confidence poll, which asked the question: Are you still confident the Detroit Lions are headed in the right direction?

After winning six of seven and starting an improbable run at the playoffs, fan approval was at an all-time high for the leadership regime of general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell. At one point during the successful run, 99% of Lions fans believed the team was headed in the right direction. Entering Week 16’s game against the Carolina Panthers, 98% of fans were on board with the organizational direction.

But the trip to Carolina brought the Lions back down to earth. In a brutal two touchdown loss in which they were dominated in the trenches, the Lions' chances at the postseason took a hit, leaving them little room for error the rest of the regular season.

How much would that loss impact fans' perceptions of the team's overall projection, though? Not as much as some might think.

Despite the loss and narrowed opportunity to keep playing beyond Week 18, 94% of Lions fans are confident the team is headed in the right direction.

For some context on how remarkable this is relative to the rest of the league, among the 32 NFL fan bases polled by SB Nation sites, only five teams secured 90+% approval from their fan bases; only 10 teams were even above 80%. Within the NFC North, the Vikings (12-3) were among the 10 at the high end with 88% of fans believing. The Bears (3-12) were next with 77%, and the Packers (7-8) checked in with just 56% of their fans believing in the direction of the team.

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