ALLEN PARK, Mich. – Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell previewed the team’s upcoming road game against the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas, noting the challenge of facing a team on a three-game winning streak.
Campbell praised Minnesota’s strong defense and ball control offense, saying, “We got our hands full, but it’s what we’re charged with.”
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Reflecting on the Week 9 27-24 home loss to Minnesota, Campbell said penalties, missed assignments, and turnovers hurt the Lions.
“We’ve got to be really disciplined. Play disciplined football on the road. It’s going to be loud there,” Campbell said.
Campbell said the loss to Minnesota was the team’s worst game of the season, with mistakes in all three phases.
Injury report
Campbell addressed wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown‘s injury status, who was listed as a nonparticipant due to a knee issue that just popped up.
“Hopefully this is just some type of irritation from the game,” Campbell said, adding he would know more later.
Campbell addressed concerns about players competing through injuries, using Christian Mahogany as an example.
Campbell explained the decision to let players play depends on the type of injury and whether it could worsen or be career-ending.
“If it’s not going to have that type of effect, it doesn’t mean it won’t feel good, but you feel ready to go,” Campbell said.
“I’m hearing from everybody that you’re 100% healed,” Campbell said. “Now it’s just about getting your feet back under. You just got to play. They’ve done all they can do, and all you can do now is play the game.”
Campbell also discussed the defense’s recent struggles despite a relatively healthy front seven.
He said rushing and coverage must work together, but the team has not been in sync for several plays.
“We’ve gotten hit on a number of plays,” Campbell said.
Campbell noted the team tried to play with a lighter box, which left them vulnerable in the run game.
Missed tackles and poor positioning were factors.
“It’s obviously too much, man. It’s not sustainable,” Campbell said.
However, Campbell emphasized the value of young players gaining experience and learning from these challenges.
Ground game
Regarding the Lions’ ground game struggles, Campbell said there were schematic and execution issues.
“It takes really all 11 guys to get the run game going,” Campbell said, noting that missed reads and blocking assignments contributed to the problem.
Campbell discussed managing players playing through injuries, emphasizing the importance of assessing whether an injury could worsen or be career-ending.
“If you feel ready to go, you just got to play,” Campbell said.
Defense
On the defense, Campbell acknowledged struggles in run coverage despite a relatively healthy front seven.
Campbell said the team has been hit on several plays due to missed tackles and poor positioning.
“It’s obviously too much, man. It’s not sustainable,” Campbell said, but noted young players are gaining valuable experience.
Campbell took responsibility for the team losing its identity, saying, “I’m the head coach, so I think that comes for me.”
Clock management
Discussing clock management late in the first half of the Steelers game, Campbell explained the difficult decisions involved in balancing taking a shot versus running down the clock.
Campbell said the team chose a big play that succeeded but left some time for Pittsburgh.
Kingsley Eguakun
He praised Kingsley Eguakun, who made his first start recently, calling his performance “really encouraging” and noting his competitiveness and speed.
On the importance of controlling the trenches, Campbell said it is vital to control the run game to have success overall.
“If we can’t get the run game in our favor, it becomes very, very difficult,” Campbell said.
Playoffs
Campbell’s message to the team was to move forward, recover mentally and physically, and be ready for the next game.
“Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us. Nobody cares,” Campbell said. “We got a game plan ready for them. They got to go out there and digest it as fast as they can and be ready to go.”
When asked about reclaiming the team’s identity with just two games left, Campbell said simply, “You just do it.”