There was a remarkable moment after the Lions' disastrous loss to the 49ers in the NFC championship game when Dan Campbell did something you will almost never see a head coach in the NFL do. Campbell spoke of an emotional, blunt conversation with his players.

Normally, instances like these are kept deep inside the locker room. They are intimate and powerful and rarely get publicly shared. But for whatever reason, Campbell didn't care. Maybe it was the brutal nature of the loss. Maybe it's who he is. Whatever the reason, out came the words, and Campbell didn't hold back.

Campbell said he told the Lions players that this may have been their only chance to reach a Super Bowl.

"I told those guys, this may have been our only shot," Campbell said. "Do I think that? No. Do I believe that? No. However, I know how hard it is to get here. I’m well aware. And it’s gonna be twice as hard to get back to this point next year than it was this year. That’s the reality. And if we don’t have the same hunger and the same work − which is a whole ‘nother thing once we get to the offseason − then we got no shot of getting back here.

"I don’t care how much better we get or what we add or what we draft. It’s irrelevant. It’s gonna be tough. Everybody in our division’s gonna be loaded back up. And, you know, you’re not hiding from anybody anymore. Everybody’s gonna want a piece of you. Which is fine, you know. Which is fine. So it’s hard. You wanna make the most of every opportunity. And we had an opportunity and we couldn’t close it out."

This may have been our only shot.

Why would Campbell say that? Because it's true. Most NFL players never come close to a Super Bowl. Some make the playoffs one year and never go back. Some players never even make the postseason.

Campbell was doing Campbell things. He was being honest with his players. That honesty is why the players trust him and a big reason the Lions made the conference championship to begin with.

But I want to give you two words for why Campbell is wrong: Andy Reid.

Reid has been so good that people forget about one part of his storied coaching career. When coaching the Eagles he went to the NFC championship game in the 2001, 2002 and 2003 seasons. He lost each one.

Reid was consistently called a choker by many Eagles fans and the media. Not kind of a choker, or choker adjacent, but a flat-out choker. It was thought Reid would never reach the Super Bowl. That's how bad it got.

He broke through in 2004 beating the Falcons but Reid lost in the Super Bowl to the Patriots. The point is, he made the Super Bowl. It happened. He did it when it seemed he never would.

This is what Campbell can learn from. Maybe Reid had the same thoughts about not getting back. While the challenge will be formidable it's far from impossible. In fact, I'd argue it's likely.

More:It's so Detroit: Lions' first Super Bowl was in sight before a meltdown for the ages

What helps the Lions is this team is massively loaded. In fact, particularly on offense, it's one of the most talented teams in the league. Yes, injuries could always be a problem, but that core on offense is formidable: quarterback Jared Goff; running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs; wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown; and tight end Sam LaPorta, who just finished his rookie season.

This group isn't just physically good; there's also a sense of mental toughness there. The Lions didn't show it in the second half, giving up 27 unanswered points, but it's definitely present.

"I think that feeling that we all had walking off of that field − I don’t think any one of us want to feel that again if we can," St. Brown said. "I think the feeling that we have is enough to motivate us for next year. We had a good year as a whole, but it is all for nothing if you don’t win the whole thing. Everyone’s goal to start the year is to win the Super Bowl. And if you don’t? You kind of fail the season. Whatever you lose here in the NFC championship or don’t make the playoffs, it is all the same.

"We will be ready."

During mini-camps, and training camp, if not before, Campbell will shake out the funk he was understandably in following the game, and he will get back to being his fiery, unshakable self. He can beat this. The Lions can. It can be done.

Just ask Andy Reid.

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