Dan Campbell – Lions ‘built to win’ in all conditions
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The weather conditions were cold, windy and wet at Lambeau Field, but the Detroit Lions still walked away as winners Sunday in their first outdoor game of the season.
The 24-14 victory over the Green Bay Packers gave the Lions three straight victories over their NFC North rivals, the first such streak since Detroit won four in a row at Lambeau Field from 1986 to 1991.
The Lions had played their first seven games of the season indoors, the only team to do so other than the 1998 New Orleans Saints in NFL history, according to Elias. But the change in scenery in their eighth game on Sunday ultimately didn’t matter.
According to head coach Dan Campbell, the Lions are “built to win in any circumstance.”
“I know this, I’m not shocked at all that we came out here and played some pretty good football in the weather conditions,” Campbell said. “We were built for this. And it doesn’t matter and just because we play indoors, it doesn’t matter. We can play anywhere. We can play in the snow. We can play in the rain, play in the mud, that’s us. just. We are built to win.”
Detroit has two outdoor games remaining this regular season. In Week 16, the Lions face the Bears in Chicago, then play the 49ers in San Francisco in Week 17. The team is confident it can compete with any team in the league at this point.
“We’re supposed to be the umbrella team that can’t play outside. We’re supposed to be the team that can only win one way, and I think we’ve shown a handful of times that we can win in more than one way. ,” said Lions QB Jared Goff, who went 18-for-22 with 145 passing yards and a touchdown. “We’re chameleons, and whatever it takes to win in any way, shape or form, that’s what we’re going to do. “
The Lions were dominant on both sides of the ball as the defense allowed its only touchdown in the final 3:49 on a 2-yard run by Emanuel Wilson, and safety Kerby Joseph recorded the first pick-six of his NFL career with 32 seconds. left before halftime to give the Lions a 17-3 lead. Although Detroit’s offense was outscored 411-261 by the Packers, the Lions still controlled the game with no turnovers and a strong ground attack.
The running back duo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 138 rushing yards and a touchdown to improve Detroit to 7-1 for the first time since 1956.
“We know we’re killers, man. Killers, murders. That’s what we do,” Lions cornerback Amik Robertson said. “But we have to keep stacking them.”
Despite Detroit’s ability to win under new circumstances, like this week’s bad weather, Campbell still urges the team to continue cleaning up other areas it can improve before traveling to Houston in next week’s “Sunday Night Football” game.
“There were a number of things we talked about: run game supremacy, we talked about explosives, as crazy as that sounds in that kind of weather, but who could come up with the most explosives, field position and turnover ratio,” Campbell said. . “The fact that we took care of the football. We preached about it all week. We worked on it. Wet ball practice every day at outdoor practice.
“Our guys really did a great job. Goff took care of the football and that was the difference. It was a big difference.”
Lions All-Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who entered the stadium before Sunday’s game wearing a black hoodie that read “Green Bay Sucks,” caught seven passes for 56 yards and a touchdown to become the first wide receiver in at least 19 seasons to catch 30 consecutive targets. He has completed 30 consecutive passes with Goff, who also became the first quarterback in NFL history to complete 80% of passes in a six-game span (min. 100 attempts), according to ESPN Research.
Goff said this is “probably” the best part of his career as this win seemingly put the Lions in the driving seat of the NFC, but they are far from satisfied.
“Every game is its own struggle and its own journey, and I think we’ve gotten really good at flushing that out. Even if it’s a loss,” Goff said. “Fast wash and move on to the next game.
“So now it’s going to be this win and then I have to fast forward this morning and go on to Houston. Sunday night, at their house,” he continued. “It’s going to be rowdy. Our fourth road race in the last five. We’ve proven that we’re built for it.”