It seems like the Detroit Lions are getting the New England Patriots when they’re down. Traveling to Germany for the game, the Patriots are licking their wounds.
Now sitting at 5-4, the Patriots are coming off one of their worst losses, arguably ever. They went down 45-27 to the Green Bay Packers, and it really wasn’t that close. With that, they dropped their second game in three weeks to an NFC North opponent. Worse, the injuries are stacking up and may prove to be too much to overcome in the second half of the season.
Detroit Lions HC Dan Campbell on Playing the New England Patriots
There is a world where it would be easy for the Lions to be distracted. They’re playing a wounded Patriots team, and they’re doing so abroad. However, a wounded Patriots team is still dangerous, and head coach Dan Campbell recently warned his team to avoid complacency.
“I just know if that was us [coming off a loss like that], you’re gonna be ready to go this week,” Campbell said. “We know this opponent is a good opponent. They were in the Super Bowl last year… We know what we’re getting ready to face here. That hornet’s nest has been kicked.”
At the same time, Campbell has also been a bit more aggressive about how things are going to go against the Patriots. In a recent radio appearance, he made it clear that he’s confident in what the Lions are going to be able to do once toe meets leather.
“We’re gonna get ready to go. We’re gonna have our best game plan in all three phases, and we’re gonna be ready to get after New England’s a**. I cannot wait,” Campbell said.
Coming into the game, the Lions are 6-2 on the season. That’s tied for second in the NFC North, making this a very important game for Detroit as they chase the Chicago Bears, while holding off the 6-2 Minnesota Vikings and the 6-3 Green Bay Packers.
Patriots HC Mike Vrabel Had His Own Warning
In the games where the Patriots have struggled, head coach Mike Vrabel is noticing a trend. They’re going behind by multiple scores early with some very slow starts. If that doesn’t change, nothing will.
“We’ll just, we’ll have to try to practice and maybe change. There’s a lot of things that we’ll have to think about and try to do, focus on how we start practice. Making sure that we’re ready to go. It’s tough to spot good teams any sort of lead, and we’ve done that,” Vrabel said.
“So that was something that we talked about going to Miami, and that didn’t happen. Then something that we continue to talk about this week, and we just have to realize that what we’re going to get early in the game is we’re getting everybody’s best, and certainly whatever they feel like their scheme plays are or things that they feel like are going to help. We just weren’t able to get off the field, and then certainly the turnover there early kind of derailed us.”
At 5-4, the Patriots are a distant second in the AFC East, behind the 7-1 Buffalo Bills. Still, they’re right in the middle of the Wild Card race. It’s just a matter of getting back on track this season. Hopefully, that starts on Sunday.
Kickoff against the Lions is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. EST this Sunday. It will be played at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.
Lions HC Dan Campbell Sends Warning About Playing Patriots