Lions' Tom Lewand: 'We're looking for greatness'

Detroit — The Lions finished 2014 at 11-5, their best record since 1991, so finding a way to sustain that success seems like a logical goal for 2015.

However, team president Tom Lewand said Wednesday matching last year's performance, which ended with a first-round playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys, will not be enough for 2015.

"It's not sustaining it; it's building on it," Lewand said during the annual kickoff luncheon at Ford Field. "That's the important thing. Sustaining it gives sort of an impression that we're comfortable with what happened last year. I think as coach (Jim Caldwell) has acknowledged several times, it was a very good season for us, but not a great one.

"We're looking for greatness."

Lewand's comment was the first during a 10-minute roundtable discussion featuring him and Caldwell taking questions from emcees Dan Miller and Jennifer Hammond of Fox 2 (WJBK-TV). Including the Lions players and coaches, there were 920 people at the event hosted by the Detroit Economic Club.

On the final question, one about why the 50-yard markers are painted gold at Ford Field, Lewand again mentioned his desire for the team to achieve greatness.

"This year is the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl, so what better year to play in it than this one?" he said.

After Lewand and Caldwell finished their roundtable, quarterback Matthew Stafford and free safety Glover Quin took some questions from the emcees. A handful of other players fielded questions from the crowd before the end of the show.

Caldwell mentioned the Lions' abundance of players with leadership skills as a reason the team could build on 2014. Lewand said he's had conversations with the coaching staff about building a foundation with consecutive good seasons in order to "establish a program of excellence."

And when the regular season begins next week, the Lions will try to finish with consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 1993-95.

"The critical piece is, don't rest on our laurels," Lewand said. "Look at the things that we did well and continue to do them; look at the things we can improve on and do those better. It sounds simple, but it's true."

jkatzenstein@detroitnews.com

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