Getty Dan Campbell celebrates on the sidelines for the Lions in 2022.
The Detroit Lions had waited since Week 2 to taste victory, so it almost goes without saying the locker room celebration was going to be extra special for the team.
Detroit scored an impressive 15-6 upset win over their arch-rival Green Bay Packers, and from the moment the clock struck zero, it was party time for the fans, players and coaches who have gone through so much this season.
After the game, the emotion of the moment was captured by cameras in the locker room, and it showed a very thrilled Lions team that was embracing the moment in a big way. Dan Campbell was happy about the game in the moment, and proved it with his speech.
Gotta make it a habit
“I’ll tell you what, I ain’t never been around a group of guys like y’all. I’m dead serious. I mean look, you talk about hitting some hard times, you guys just keep coming back man. I’ve never seen anything like it. I told you Wednesday man, I could smell something. You could smell something in the air and you guys rallied. That’s not easy. That’s a good win,” Campbell said.
Campbell goes on to give the game ball to maligned defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who has been under the gun all week long and had dealt with a major firing and shakeup in his room. Glenn was clearly appreciative of the gesture.
“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?”
It was an outpouring of joy unlike had been seen for the Lions most of the season, and a moment which proved the team could be on the right track moving forward. The raw emotion could give the Lions hope of sustaining a bit of a midseason breakthrough.
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.
“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 which is a big reason that Glenn got a game ball.
Credit Lions for Grabbing a Win
The Lions have been beaten down for weeks, and deserved a chance to feel as good as they looked in the video. The team had struggled in both phases, so to see them put away a win was very satisfying.
Detroit was suffering a week of turmoil in trading away T.J. Hockenson, a top offensive weapon. They were also dealing with the dismissal of Aubrey Pleasant, their defensive backs coach. With these events, the team could have quit and gone into the tank. Instead, they rallied for a victory.
Watching the postgame video, it’s clear how much the victory means to the team and the players as well as the coaching staff. It could be a spark that helps in turning around the 2022 season and allowing the team to be more consistent on the field.