Getty Dan Campbell on the field for the Lions in 2023.
The Detroit Lions badly needed a bounce-back win against the Chicago Bears in Week 17, and they managed to score it in a big way.
Detroit’s 41-10 triumph was a major one in terms of the way it played out for the team. The Lions responded after an awful Week 16 loss to hand the opposition a blowout of their own.
As a result, the locker room was a happy place after the game, and head coach Dan Campbell delivered another impassioned locker room speech.
Got our identity back
“We got our identity back in a hurry. You talk about recovering, you guys were ready to go and you could smell it last night. You just watched it today. It wasn’t perfect early, but man, we took over and we win. That is what we’re about. That’s outstanding.”
As it relates to the future, the Lions’ playoff lives will come down to week 18 in a game that suddenly has a lot of intrigue for the league. As Campbell said, it’s good news that the team is still in the mix for the postseason.
“I’m going to be honest with you, with where we’re at now, this game with Green Bay is TBD. It’s been TBD. So they’re waiting to see what happens with Seattle and all this. We don’t know whether we’re playing Saturday or Sunday yet. I can tell you this, what we did today is going to put us in a high commodity next week. We’ll be the hot game. The fact of the matter is, we just extended ourselves one more week for the playoffs. We just guaranteed ourselves one more week. That’s outstanding.”
No matter how the season ends, the Lions responded in a big way, which speaks to their culture and character.
Campbell Wants Big Finishes to Become Norm
In terms of how the Lions finished the season, Campbell was also very pleased with the statement the Lions made to their fans and the league. The learning experience of being in a one-game playoff most of the second half has been invaluable to the roster.
Speaking to the media after the game on Sunday, January 1, Campbell said that the experience the Lions are gaining is invaluable for the future.
This has to become the norm.
“I think this is what you want them to face. You want them to feel this. You want them to understand what this is because this has got to become the norm. This has to become the norm,” Campbell said. “Once you get to understand this, then it becomes you’re playing for the division, where your seeding is going to be. That’s coming. Right now to get a taste of all of this, be in the hunt, be in the run, I think is huge for our guys.”
In time, the Lions can get where they’re a full-time contender, and if they do, the experience gained in this run will be why that becomes the case. Credit them for stepping up and getting the job done.
Jared Goff Loved Treating Lions Fans to Win
Detroit didn’t have a letdown at home whatsoever and went on for a commanding win. That was good news for Jared Goff, who was happy to treat the deserving Lions fans to a victory.
Speaking to the media after the game, Goff said that he is excited to see the culture of the team take off.
“It’s really cool to see the culture building.”
“It was so fun. Seeing those fans, knowing it was our last home game, how fired up they got. It’s really cool to see the culture building. To see the culture kind of seeping into the fans a little bit and they feel it,” Goff said. “They’re having fun with it. We love playing in front of these guys. It’s a lot of fun.”
A big reason the Lions can take the next step? Solid rebound wins such as this, which show that the team is capable of executing on the field even when the chips have been down.
Campbell is right that it is an identity building type game for the Lions.
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Dan Campbell Praises Lions Response: ‘We Got Our Identity Back’