Getty Dan Campbell walks the sideline for Lions vs. Packers in 2022.
It hasn’t been a season to remember for the Detroit Lions, but with a big win against the Green Bay Packers, perhaps that can start to change a bit.
The Lions rallied for the big win thanks to their defense, and that performance was enough to get coordinator Aaron Glenn off the hot seat temporarily. Glenn has struggled this season and been through a lot on defense, and as a result, it seemed that the biggest question would be when the team would move on from him.
The coordinator got a major shout-out after the game from NBC Sports pundit Peter King. In King’s Football Morning in America piece, Glenn was cited as the league’s coach of the week for Week 9 given his defense’s ability to step up.
As King wrote, the fact that the woeful Detroit defense rose up for Glenn midseason is a particularly positive feather in the cap of the coordinator.
“Glenn’s D entered Sunday last in the league in points allowed and yards allowed. The Lions cut down practice time during the week but told players every practice snap would be played at full speed. That translated well to Sunday. To give up nine points to Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers was a win for the embattled Glenn and a team that should be better than it’s played,” King wrote. “Glenn was rightly celebrated afterward in the locker room, where he told the team, “We gotta make it a habit.”
In addition to the locker room, Glenn was also rightly celebrated in the media. It’s been a tough go of it for the coordinator who was once seen as a rising star and in the span of half a season, seen all that hype taken away.
Now, this effort gives Glenn a chance to come back off the mat a bit and begin to rehab his image moving forward. To see him claim this honor does show that
Dan Campbell Praises Defense for Playmaking
After the game, it was clear that the Lions players and coaches understood who helped win them the game. Detroit managed to make the final stop, which is something they hadn’t done recently, and Dan Campbell was impressed.
As Campbell said, in his opinion, the team gets a lot of credit for not only winning the game, but being gritty and resilient on the field and stepping up when they needed to during crunch time.
“That defense, man. They rose up.”
“I’m proud of them. I just gave the game ball to A.G. It’s a hell of a job. Coaches his heart out. Those guys responded. We knew we needed a minimum of two is what we talked about. As a whole, that defense man, they rose up. I thought we played aggressive, challenged on the perimeter. Some of the plays they made, we were in the fight. We’re in it. I felt like we made them go the long, hard way and we were able to sustain.”
Campbell, like all the fans, had waited to see the defense put a game away and play a big role. Finally, they were able to do that, and it was due in large part to the work of Glenn and his staff.
Glenn Given Game Ball After Victory
The Lions seemed to know how important Glenn and the defense was to their winning effort on Sunday. After the game in an emotional locker room scene, the game ball was presented to him by Campbell.
After receiving the ball, Glenn was clearly appreciative of the gesture. His emotional speech showed what he feels not only for his co-workers but his players as well.
Gotta make it a habit
“That was the best thing in the world, man. That was the best thing in the world. When I left this game, this is what I missed. To get a chance to be here, I live through you, I promise you I do,” Glenn said. “That’s why the coaches do what we do. For you guys, to live through you. Here’s the deal. We gotta make it a habit. Gotta make it a habit. When it becomes a habit, that’s when we go places. And that’s when we start expecting to win like we talk about. Expect it men, you got me?”
The hope is the Lions can make big defensive performances a habit in the coming weeks and continue to help Glenn feel good down the stretch of the 2022 season.