Dan Campbell is one of those coaches who will believe in his team no matter what, but after a crushing divisional round defeat to… Washington leaders With the house as the No. 1 seed, even the most optimistic people can feel discouraged.
But not Campbell, who reiterated his belief that it was his Detroit LionsThe championship window remains wide open.
“Yes, I do,” Campbell said when asked the tournament window question via ESPN. “We're talking about that core group. That core group is still intact, and we've got some of them re-signed, some of them under contract, and that will continue. But, yeah, we definitely do.”
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Lions coach Dan Campbell addresses the media after a game against the Green Bay Packers, on Dec. 5, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
“I think the most important thing is you want to know that you have your culture, you have your identity, you have players that fit into that, and we have that.”
A good example of this is wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who signed long-term with the Lions last offseason, texted Campbell at 4 a.m. after a 45-31 loss to the Leaders on Saturday night.
The loss was eating away at him, but it showed Campbell that he had hungry players in the building, especially leaders like St. Brown.
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“I know the right guys. They are our guys for a reason, and that is what will always give me hope and let me know that we will be better.
“We will come back stronger, and we will learn from this, which is just more fuel on the fire, is what it is.”
Campbell said all of this before reports surfaced that his offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, had been selected by the NFC North rival to become their next head coach. the Chicago Bears They're bringing in Johnson to help turn things around, and it's clear he knows everything about the organization after the past three seasons in his role in Detroit.
Lions coach Dan Campbell speaks to the media after a playoff game against the Washington Commanders, Jan. 19, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Mike Mulholland)
But that shouldn't come as a shock to Campbell, who should prepare to lose defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as well. Glenn will have his second interview with the New York Jets on Tuesday to fill the head coaching vacancy as well.
Campbell told ESPN that he has to have a next-man-up mentality if he loses his coordinators, but winning now doesn't change.
“We're not going to let that happen,” Campbell said regarding a possible change in mentality. “Does it hurt to lose those guys? Absolutely. They're part of what we've been here for. They've been here for four years, and they're one of the main reasons we were able to get to where we were.”
The Lions simply weren't supposed to think ahead, as they already lost their innovative offensive coordinator and are preparing for the offseason. With their ability to put points on the scoreboard, they looked like they were poised to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LIX.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell (Matt Kartozian-Imagine Photo/File)
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While the Lions have to go back to the drawing board, their head coach still believes they have the team to reach the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history.
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