Jared Goff Reflects on Dan Campbell’s Leadership After Lions’ Loss to Bills
The 12-2 Detroit Lions suffered their first defeat in 12 weeks last Sunday in a 48-42 nail-biter against the Buffalo Bills. Despite the setback, quarterback Jared Goff hasn’t forgotten what it feels like to endure tough seasons and remains confident in his team and the leadership of head coach Dan Campbell.
In the team’s first meeting after the loss, which also saw multiple injuries to key players, Campbell delivered his trademark motivational message: “Nobody writes our story. We’re the only ones who write our story,” he said, as reported by WXYZ 7 News Detroit’s Brad Galli. “We have the pen.”
When asked about the impact of having Campbell as a coach, Goff offered a thoughtful response, recognizing both the team’s progress and Campbell’s influence.
“It’s all relative. Adversity two years ago was very different from what we face now. Watching [Campbell] persevere when we were 1-6 or 3-13 that first year makes his words resonate even more now, when we’re 12-2 dealing with our first loss in 12 weeks,” Goff said. “If this is our adversity, we’ll handle it and move on. When he speaks, people listen, and as a team, we’ve responded well to challenges.”
Campbell, known for his bold play-calling, surprised many last week with an onside kick attempt at the start of the fourth quarter. Although the move backfired—Buffalo recovered and scored on the next play—it wasn’t the sole reason for the loss. Critics quickly emerged, pointing to the play call and the rash of injuries, with some prematurely writing off the Lions’ season.
Still, Goff’s perspective indicates the team is focused on moving forward and staying positive.
Next, the Lions will face their division rivals, the Chicago Bears, on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
