Barry Sanders says Lions have bright future

High goals, high expectations, and a high ceiling.

Barry Sanders believes the sky is the limit for the current Lions team.

The Hall of Fame running back talked about the team, its young stars, and much more Monday night in Detroit.

Sanders was in town for a tailgating party as part of a promotion with Nissan and the Heisman trophy.

The former Lions running back believed the 2011 Lions were special, and said he was pleased with the results of the season.

"I was hoping they'd make it to the playoffs, I was hoping they'd be good," Sanders said.

"They put it together and they did that. I would say they met up with my expectations."

Sanders spoke highly of the young core of stars the Lions have compiled. He spoke at length about the accomplishments of Matthew Stafford and the quarterback's play on the field.

"This is the guy we we're hoping we drafted. The way he delivered this year, he showed he can deliver the ball in a lot of tight spots. Toughness. For a lot of us fans, this is the guy we hoped we drafted."

Sanders repeatedly spoke as a Lions supporter, echoing his sentiments of years past, when he stood behind the team he retired from before the 1999 season.

"I think the bottom line is they've got to get by those folks from Wisconsin, in Green Bay. You know what kind of roster they have, so start looking at it from that angle. If you can build a team that can beat the Packers, then you've got a shot."

Sanders said the path this team is on, led by Jim Schwartz, who he called "solid," is impressive.

"They have a really talented young quarterback, maybe the top receiver in the NFL. I mean, as a passing game, if they can get Jahvid Best healthy and possibly shore up some places on defense, you never know what they can do next year."