ALLEN PARK, Mich. – Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell addressed key issues following the team’s upset loss to the Minnesota Vikings, highlighting penalties, mistakes, and the need for better discipline.
Campbell noted the team committed seven penalties for 56 yards, including crucial ones that extended opponents’ drives and forced the Lions to settle for field goals or punts.
He also mentioned a blocked field goal against kicker Jake Bates and a fumble in plus territory that hurt the team’s chances.
Defensively, Campbell said the Lions gave up two touchdowns on sudden change plays but managed to hold on to the last one.
Campbell emphasized that many of the problems were self-inflicted and that the opposing team capitalized on them.
“We just didn’t play very good,” said Campbell. “So much of it is the fundamentals and the discipline, which has not been an issue, and it showed up in that game.”
Campbell stressed the importance of responding to adversity, telling the team to stay calm, focus on corrections, and work to improve for the next game.
He said adversity is inevitable in any season, and how the team handles it defines their success.
Campbell addressed the challenges the team faced in protecting quarterback Jared Goff and managing Jahmyr Gibbs’ role as he was targeted on blitzes.
When asked why the team didn’t adjust better to relieve Gibbs with a bigger back like David Montgomery to take that pressure off, Campbell explained that while there are options like bringing in extra blockers or using seven-man protections, the defense countered by adding more rushers.
“There’s some things that we can do better and that we can get to,” Campbell said. “We don’t want to have Gibby do a full game of it. He had a little bit of an off day in some of that, too, but no, we don’t want him having to go hammerhead for 12 plays.”
Campbell praised Gibbs’ ability to protect, but noted the plan was to keep him in to help the offense, though the opposing defense made it difficult by not allowing him to release on some blitzes.
He also touched on communication issues that have affected the offense this season.
Campbell emphasized the need for coaches and players to be on the same page and hold each other accountable to avoid costly mistakes.
Regarding using players like Gibbs and Jameson Williams in space, Campbell said it’s a key part of the offense.
However, timing was off during the game, leading to some failed screen plays.
“The timing of it wasn’t good enough,” Campbell said. “We had a couple of screens for Gibbs that were just the worst-case scenario.”
Campbell reflected on the offensive struggles, noting that sometimes one error compounds into another, disrupting rhythm and leading to penalties that hurt the team’s chances.
He credited the Vikings for the win but stressed that eliminating just one critical error—whether on special teams, defense, or offense—could have changed the outcome.
Campbell also discussed the return of key defensive players from injury, which he said will boost the team’s roster.
He expressed cautious optimism about offensive lineman Christian Mahogany’s recovery from a broken bone, hoping to get him back this season.
On the topic of trade deadline moves, Campbell said the team is still gathering information and has not made decisions yet.
Overall, Campbell called for better execution and accountability from players and coaches alike to clean up errors and get back to winning.
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