ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – Golden Tate saw the progress early on during the spring. After last season’s playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the wide receiver openly challenged his teammates to have the best offseason progress of their lives.

When they returned in April, Tate believed the Detroit Lions players accomplished that – and it is why the veteran pass catcher has a lot of optimism heading into the 2015 season, which will start Sunday when veterans report to training camp.

Golden Tate challenged his teammates to be productive in the offseason, and he says he has seen positive results. Jeff Haynes/AP Images for Panini

“This is not a new beginning for us,” Tate said during a break at his youth football camp on Thursday. “We’re going to continue where we left off and start building from there. Try to have the best offseason we possibly can and I think most guys have done that.

“We’re way more advanced for where we are as a team.”

The Lions have to be if they want to have back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since the mid-1990s. In the quest to solve the Lions’ offensive difficulties from a season ago, Detroit believes time might be one of the biggest aids. Between injuries and a lack of familiarity in the offense, the Lions stagnated throughout the season.

The Lions ranked 22nd in points scored per game (20.1), had a bottom-10 rushing offense and allowed 45 sacks. The franchise ranked in the top 10 in just two major offensive categories, time of possession (seventh at 31:41) and interception percentage (sixth at 2 percent).

But the Lions won last year mostly based off their defense instead of the explosive offense they were thought to have. This season, Detroit’s players believe the team is more advanced there now.

“We’re not like a geometry class, we’re like an AP class now,” Tate said. “So we’re focusing on the details of the offense and defense and just really dialing in.

“So I’m just excited to see how far we can go.”

Tate pointed to the continuity at a lot of offensive positions – other than the line – as part of the reason for his optimism. Like he did during spring workouts, he specifically cited second-year tight end Eric Ebron as a player who could take a big jump.

Whether the confidence Tate has are merely words or ends up being an actual offensive advancement for Detroit from the first year under offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi to the second will actually start to be seen next week.