Getty Dan Campbell gestures for a touchdown in 2022 in Chicago.
The Detroit Lions put away a huge win against the Jacksonville Jaguars with an avalanche of big plays on both sides of the ball, and as a result, the team is alive and well in the playoff race.
With Detroit winners of four out of five games, the Lions are making celebration videos in the locker room after the game commonplace. That’s been a welcome sign after a run of tough losses to start the year.
Following the 40-14 win, the team’s locker room was a very triumphant place. Head coach Dan Campbell admitted that he believed the blowout was the best his team has looked all season long, and said that he knows exactly what the team is at this point.
Best game of the year and we’re only getting better!
“That was the best game we’ve played all year gentlemen. We are playing our best football right now. This is five weeks in a row now we’re playing our best football right now and we’re in December. That’s a credit to you guys. I know what we are. You should know what you are,” he said.
Detroit got a great day from wideout DJ Chark, and Campbell handed Chark a game ball for his hard work, unsurprisingly building up a player who has changed teams as well as battled injury a lot this season.
“You guys know, anybody who’s played on another team, to be able to come somewhere else, you’re a free agent. You want to go on another team and stake your claim, make your claim. DJ Chark,” Campbell
Chark loved the gesture, and said in his speech that he appreciates all the love that his teammates are showing him.
“I just want to say I appreciate y’all for bringing me in. I spent four years there and I came here and everyday y’all made me feel like part of the team. That’s the biggest thing for me. I be feeling like I’m somewhere I belong, y’all make me feel like that,” he said.
All in all, it was another fantastic scene in a locker room after a game, something that fans are getting used to at this point.
Campbell Praised Lions’ Perseverance
After the dominating win, Campbell revealed why he thinks the team has enjoyed so much success. As he said, the biggest reason might be the fact that the group has stayed together even amid a season where the Lions struggled and have gone through peaks and valleys.
Clicking at the right time
“It’s the same group that we’ve talked about. It’s the game group that when things didn’t look good, they put in the same amount of work. They’ve just gone in and have not lost faith. They’re unbroken, unshaken. They go to work,” Campbell told the media afterward. “It’s a group of guys that just goes to work. They believe in the game plan. They’ve got a lot of confidence right now. They trust the guy next to them and we’re clicking right now. Clicking at the right time.”
The Lions have a long road to make the playoffs, but the fight they are showing is admirable. A confident team is often the most dangerous team in the league, and the Lions are looking like arguably the most confident team in football at the moment.
If they can pay it off with a few more big wins, Campbell would likely not be surprised. He clearly loves the team for what they have done and the fight they have shown.
Chark Earned Game Ball With Major Performance
To see Chark get called out by Campbell and his teammates after the game for his big effort was special, and something that could build the player up as he pushes down the stretch.
Chark would finish with 98 yards on the game, and achieve a measure of revenge against his former team the Jacksonville Jaguars. All day long, he was a dependable receiver for the Lions, and made the kind of plays the Lions had been hoping for with the deep ball.
Chark diving! 🦈
#JAXvsDET | 📺 FOX
Detroit’s offense has explosive potential when Chark is going good. He was only signed to a one-year deal last offseason, but with this game right after appearing on Thanksgiving with a score, the pass catcher could be coming alive at the right time to earn himself another look in Detroit in 2023.
With Chark doing his thing, Detroit’s offense looked very tough to stop. That was very good news, and an important development in 2022. It’s great to see Chark fitting in and getting the love from his new teammates.