Getty Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said his team will be ready to face the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football.
Head coach Dan Campbell didn’t exactly say the Detroit Lions were “on to Cincinnati” as New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick famously coined into a phrase after a blowout loss in 2014. But 24 hours after losing to the Baltimore Ravens, 38-6, Campbell had his own message about turning the page to the next game.
He delivered that message so strongly, it could be seen as a warning to Detroit’s next opponent — the Las Vegas Raiders.
“We will be ready for this game. We will be ready,” Campbell told the media on October 23. “We will physically, emotionally, we will be ready for this game.”
The Lions will host the Raiders on Monday Night Football in Week 8.
The Raiders have plenty of their own problems to deal with, including the health of starting quarterback Jimmy Garroppolo. But the Raiders will also have to overcome an angry Lions squad on the road.
Lions’ Dan Campbell, ‘Prideful Players’ Motivated for Raiders
Reporters asked Campbell how he could be so confident in his team’s ability to prepare much better for the Raiders. The Lions head coach didn’t back down, explaining that the Ravens loss will be motivating.
“I just know the frustration and anger that I have, that motivates me, and I’m pretty sure that it does with our players,” said Campbell.
“I just know me, and I know our coaches, and I know these players. We’ve got a lot of prideful players. We will be ready. I know it. One hundred percent.”
Dating back to last season, the Lions were 13-3 in their last 16 games before entering Week 7. This season, the Lions had already defeated two division leaders on the road and held two opponents without touchdowns.
It wouldn’t have been surprising to see Detroit deliver another stellar performance against the division-leading Ravens on October 22.
But the Lions-Ravens didn’t look like a contest between two first-place teams, as the Ravens dominated from the kickoff. At one point during the third quarter, Baltimore led 35-0.
Campbell Takes Blame for Poor Performance in Baltimore
The Lions head coach appeared to put his team on notice immediately after the Week 7 blowout loss. But then having a day to dissect the defeat, Campbell took responsibility for the team coming out flat in Baltimore.
Campbell also gave plenty of credit to the Ravens, but most of his focus was on himself and what he could do better going forward.
“I did not do a good job of getting them ready. I did not. I did not,” Campbell told the media. “It would be one thing if it was just a couple guys here or there, but ultimately, I didn’t have them ready. I’ve got to do a much better job of getting them prepared, which I will this week.
“We will be ready for the Raiders.”
Specifically, Campbell stressed that the Lions will return to the basics at practice.
“We need to get back to some of our fundamental work. Our one-on-one work, our technique work. Good on good, just one-on-one pass rush, one-on-one man-to-man coverage, one-on-one getting open on routes, our releases, our hand work. I think just getting back to some of that.
“We do a number of those and then as it goes, you start shaving some practice to get a little more of the scheme, and you’re hoping you had enough fundamentals through camp, and you know what, you’ve got to go back to it.
“And I know that’s where I can help.”