The Detroit Lions have made a habit of losing games in a gritty fashion so far this season, and while that hasn’t translated to any tangible signs of improvement in terms of the win-loss record, the court of public opinion believes they maintain a team on the rise.
Following a gut-punch loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Detroit coach Dan Campbell showed some major emotion in a move that most folks applauded. That was a sentiment that was echoed by Fox Sports personality Colin Cowherd and his cohort Joy Taylor.
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On an episode of The Herd on Monday, October 11, Cowherd and Taylor discussed Campbell’s emotional press conference after the loss and agreed that the Lions are on the right track based on how they have played and the personality of the head coach.
Whew don’t make me cry Dan Campbell! 😩
“I love it. And the other thing is, the old saying is you can lose a game but you can’t lose a locker room. They’re losing all sorts of games, but players are going to play so hard. They are,” Cowherd said. “They have limitations on personnel. They’re not very good defensively. They can’t make big stops. But offensively, they have their moments and the bottom line? He won the room. They’re losing games but he’s not close to losing the room.”
Show host Joy Taylor agreed with Cowherd’s assessment of the situation, and said she believes the Lions are ahead of other teams who also maintain losing records in the league thus far this season.
“They’re losing games, but to me, they’re in a better situation than Jacksonville. It’s like they’re right there, but just not able to get over the edge and they play tough. I like seeing that (emotion) from Dan Campbell. He won me over. I’m in.”
Taylor also said that in her opinion, the Lions are able to stick in games because they believe and haven’t given up as other differently constructed teams tend to do.
“There’s a different feeling when you’re losing and you feel like every week you can still win,” she said. “That versus going into a game when you’re losing and it feels like you’re going to work where it’s like ‘we have no chance and I am not even buying into what it is we’re doing and I don’t feel like we’re making the right choices and I don’t feel like the top is invested in us.’ That’s what you want to see. A coach is completely invested in the situation and I like the way they play. They play tough. They’re not winning but they have a bit of a culture build going on right now. That I can buy into.”
Seeing this pair buy in is interesting, considering their recent history of rejecting Campbell and the Lions during the offseason. Regardless, bygones appear to be bygones and Campbell and the Lions have caught their attention for building things up right for 2021.
Emmanuel Acho Praises Campbell’s Emotional Press Conference
Following Detroit’s 19-17 defeat to the Minnesota Vikings, Campbell bared his soul in a way not many NFL coaches do. He spoke passionately about wanting to win in order to see his players happy, and shed a few tears on the podium while doing so after the game.
Not surprisingly, the internet community has responded to the scene after the game in a big way. Perhaps the best reaction came from outspoken football personality Emmanuel Acho. As Acho said, even though others might disagree, he loved Campbell shedding a few tears because it shows how much he cares.
Maybe I’m in the minority, but I love seeing #Lions head coach, Dan Campbell cry after his teams close loss. It shows how much he cares. Bravo, D.C 👏🏾👏🏾
Aside from just Cowherd, public sentiment was clearly very much behind Campbell following the loss, and it feels like the Lions are perhaps taking on a lovable loser label after having so many heart wrenching losses early this season. Folks who are paying attention see the genuine connection Campbell has with his roster and his new city.
Campbell Showed Emotion After Detroit’s Loss
After the game, Campbell was emotional when speaking to the media, shedding a few tears. As captured by Fox 2 Sports on Twitter, the coach who so often wears his heart on his sleeve was bearing his soul once more, this time with some tears.
An emotional Dan Campbell after another heartbreaking #Lions loss:
“When you see your players give all that hey have and you lose that way, it’s tough. You don’y want that for them. But we’ll be better for it. There again, credit Minnesota but we made the one mistake that cost us. So, ultimately, we didn’t do enough to win. And I love the fight they have in them, and I love their grit.”
Lions fans will appreciate this sentiment and emotion from their coach. Truthfully, he gets it and shows as much excitement and disappointment as the average fan. That’s a reason he could prove successful according to a pair of notable talking heads.
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Colin Cowherd Cheers Dan Campbell’s Emotion: ‘He Won the Room’