Dan Campbell reflects on Lions’ narrow defeat
In the aftermath of the Detroit Lions’ heartbreaking 29-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, head coach Dan Campbell shared his thoughts candidly during the postgame press conference. The frustration was palpable, as he acknowledged the team’s efforts while also emphasizing the need for improvement.
Acknowledging the Steelers’ Victory
“Credit to those guys, Coach Tomlin,” Campbell began, recognizing the Steelers for their hard-fought win. “You know, it’s frustrating. I was proud of the way the guys fought. We battled our way back into the game and had an opportunity to win, which is ultimately what you want. But we weren’t able to close it out. At the end of the day, that’s on us. We put ourselves in a position where we had to try to score on the last play.”
The coach expressed pride in his team’s determination, but lamented that their efforts were “too little too late.” He stated, “We just didn’t make enough plays.”
Controversial Calls and Missed Opportunities
When asked about the offensive pass interference penalty on the final play, Campbell chose not to dwell on it. “I don’t even want to get into it. It’s not going to change anything; we still lost. You think you score, you don’t score, and then you think you’re going to have another shot. But it doesn’t happen. That’s just how it’s written in the rulebook. It’s frustrating, but it should never come to that. We had our opportunities.”
The Lions struggled to establish a consistent run game throughout the match. Campbell explained, “We just couldn’t quite get it going. We made some plays in the passing game, and Jared (Goff) was in a good place, but in the third quarter, we only had three plays. When you’re down two scores, you’re definitely throwing it. I wish we could have run more; I would love to run the ball a lot more than we did.”
Steelers’ Dominance and Defensive Struggles
Reflecting on the Steelers’ performance, Campbell admitted their ground game was superior. “They rushed for over 200 yards, and we had only 15. I can’t argue with that. Our defense was on the field for a while, and when you can convert and stay on the field, it opens up your offense. We weren’t able to do that.”
On the final offensive play, the decision made by Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown to pitch the ball back to Goff was a calculated risk. Campbell praised St. Brown’s instincts, stating, “He’s a smart, instinctive player. He gave us one more shot, but it didn’t work out.”
Injuries and Team Readiness
Campbell addressed the challenge of injuries affecting player availability and team cohesion, noting, “Every team has injuries. We should be better than that. We’ve lived this for three years. Coaches are charged with having our guys ready, and we can do better.”
As the Lions face the reality of consecutive losses, Campbell expressed a desire to finish the season strong. “We just lost two in a row. I want to see us play with our identity. We’re big boys in this league; you pull your pants up and go to work. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. It’s on us to finish.”
Looking Ahead
With two games left in the season, Campbell emphasized the importance of a strong finish. “I want to see us finish our style of football, with two to go. We need to play four straight quarters of good, clean, efficient football. We have a short week now with Minnesota coming up, and we need to be ready to execute.”
As the Lions prepare for their next matchup, the message remains clear: it’s time to regroup and refocus. The opportunity for redemption is on the horizon, and Campbell is determined to lead his team back on track.
