Dan Campbell Is Already Counting On A Lions Super Bowl Appearance: 'We've Got 11 Games Left'

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Dan Campbell has done the math. And in his mind, it all adds up to a Detroit Lions Super Bowl.

During his weekly interview on 97.1 The Ticket, the Lions flagship radio station, the head coach dropped a gem of a quote while discussing why the team delayed activating trade deadline acquisition Za'Darius Smith for Week 10's win over the Houston Texans.

"We've got 11 games left here, and we're gonna need him for every one of those," Campbell said. "Every time we get closer to the end, they get more critical. I just felt like it was the right thing to do, and then yes, I'm excited to get him going. I think he's gonna be an excellent addition for us."

Campbell specifically said 11 games left — meaning eight regular-season games, two post-season games (after a first-round bye for being the No. 1 seed) and, of course, the Super Bowl. Hypothetically, of course.

At 8-1, the Lions currently hold the NFC's best record. But with the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings just one game behind at 7-2, Campbell knows his squad has to keep winning. And he's doing everything he can to manifest that into existence.

"Our guys know that, that was one of the things talked about in training camp. You got to work backwards," the fourth-year head coach said during the interview. "I’ve said it before, you can’t just keep saying that the end game is the end game. Yeah, we all know that. So now, what do you got to do?

"You got to win your division, and preferably you want to be the one (seed). That’s kind of where it goes. That whole focus is the division and getting that one seed. Your odds go up, it only helps you. …That’s what we’re shooting for."

Dan Campbell is planning a trip to New Orleans in February.

(Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

Detroit fell just short of Super Bowl LVIII last season — falling to the San Francisco 49ers, 34-31, in the NFC Championship game.

If Campbell's calculations for this season are correct, though, it would be the Lions' first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.

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Amber is a Midwestern transplant living in Murfreesboro, TN. She spends most of her time taking pictures of her dog, explaining why real-life situations are exactly like "this one time on South Park," and being disappointed by the Tennessee Volunteers.