Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell declared the winner of Super Bowl 61. Campbell joked that the Los Angeles Rams won the Super Bowl this year already with their acquisition of Myles Garrett when asked about the superstar being traded to a Super Bowl contender.
“I mean, they’ve won it now, right?” joked Campbell. “Obviously, he’s a hell of a player, (Jared) Verse is a hell of a player, and they are two totally different players, but that is what they felt like they needed to do so good for them.”
Campbell is obviously bringing the sarcasm, but when he got down to the real analysis, he noted that the Rams had to lose a good player to get one back, and that the move is what they thought was for the best.
The Detroit Lions Are Tied to the Los Angeles Rams
GettyLions head coach Dan Campbell
Because of the Matthew Stafford for Jared Goff trade, these two versions of the teams are always going to be compared, and there is always going to be a rivalry between the two. The fact that both teams have become highly competitive over the past three or four seasons only makes the swap of the two star quarterbacks more intriguing.
Since Campbell took over as the Lions head coach and Goff moved from Los Angeles to Detroit, the two teams are 2-2 against each other. The Rams might think they have a leg up because they have the Super Bowl ring.
However, at the same time, the Lions two wins were in a playoff game, the most important of the four, and then Week 1 of the following season to ruin the Rams revenge plans. It also put the Rams behind in the standings early, and they spent a lot of that season catching up.
The Rams have two wins, but the first was when the Lions were clearly in a rebuild phase, and the Lions hung tough. Last year, when the Lions were all but eliminated, the Rams beat a banged-up version of the team. So, the Rams have the ring, but the Lions have the two meaningful wins.
Dan Campbell Has the Lions Focused on Themselves
Still, the overall message that Campbell is portraying is that nothing is said or done until the games are played. The Rams look good on paper, but the Lions are not going to bow to them because the experts peg them as the better team; they are going to have to earn it.
Unfortunately, the Rams and Lions do not play in the regular season this year. However, the Rams are now Super Bowl favorites, and the Lions are projected to bounce back and make a playoff run by many experts.
The two teams could certainly see each other for a fifth matchup and a second playoff meeting. However, Campbell is making sure the focus is on his team and what they can do, and not worrying about what teams across the conference are up to. This is a smart and funny way to go about it.
Dan Campbell Declares Super Bowl Winner After Myles Garrett Trade