Here’s a breakdown of what head coach Dan Campbell said following the Detroit Lions’ 31-29 victory over the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday.
Opening Statement
“That was a solid win. A solid win. I told the team that saying I was proud of them was an understatement. We knew that team; they’d been playing strong football for five weeks after their bye, and we expected them to be ready.
We knew it would come down to the wire. The team understood that. We emphasized patience. Patience. Keeping composure. Communication. Attitude. Our guys did just that. We held on, didn’t blink. Things started to go a little sideways at the end. But we got the ball back, stopped a two-point conversion, which was huge defensively.
Then Goff, the O-line, took us right down the field with Gibbs and St. Brown. And Bates, how about that kick? What a kick. Great team win. Complementary football—offense, defense, special teams—when we needed it most. I’m proud of these guys. Huge win on the road, tough environment. First one—not a must-win, but we needed that in a lot of ways.”
On confidence in Bates, sending the kicker with the game on the line…
“I think I said it, right? I think that’s what I said. He felt good about it. After five games with him, NFL games, and watching him every day in practice, under crowd noise, moving the spot, me yelling at him, putting on the pressure, and he just kept making the kicks. So, you feel confident when he’s in that situation. It’s not the same, but it is. His confidence has grown. He can go out there and get it done. He did that. Really proud of him.”
On Jared’s performance, not reaching a 150 passer rating like the past two weeks, but still at 140 and 22-of-25. He’s consistently putting you in position to win.
“He’s a stud. I was asked about what we saw in ‘21 when Brad and I brought him in. What stands out? The guy’s got arm talent, no doubt. But it’s what he’s got here (pointing to head) and here (points to heart).
That’s what makes him dangerous, what makes him someone you can build around because he’s a winner. He’ll find a way to win. He’ll put the offense in position to win the game. He’s tough, competitive, and reliable. I love the guy. And once again, he came up big for us in a division game, on the road.”
On the slow start, not getting a first down until late in the first quarter. After that, four straight touchdown drives. Was there a turning point? Did someone say something?
“No, some of that was on us early. They were playing well, no doubt. But there were some things we should have converted, plays that were our mistakes, especially on two series. Once we cleaned it up, we just needed one conversion. After that, we started rolling. Sometimes, that’s all it takes—get that first down, and now you’re moving.”
On Brian Branch’s progress in recent weeks…
“His confidence is skyrocketing. He’s getting better and better. He’s still pretty young and new to the safety position for us. You can see how fast he’s growing there. The sky’s the limit for him. He’s the ultimate football guy—instinctive, tough, smart, great tackler. He’s a ball hawk, got radar. He’s one of those players who can change a game. I thought he had a touchdown. You just feel like he’s going to make another big play. That’s who he is.”
On the defense making big stops. How would you assess their performance?
“They fought. We knew what we were up against, and Jefferson is not easy to contain. You always have to be aware of him—roll to him, double him. Oh, and don’t let them run, either. It’s not easy. A.G. had a great game plan, and they executed it well. There were a few things, but when we needed a stop at the end to get the ball back, they did it. Then, after we kicked the field goal, they closed it out. Situational football. The secondary stepped up against some tough receivers, and Jefferson always does damage. I thought we competed well.”
On Gibbs having two touchdowns and a block on another. How important was he today?
“He was huge. He had around 160 all-purpose yards. He came alive when we needed it most. We’ve felt Gibby was close to breaking out, and this game, he really came through. That block on Kalif Raymond’s run was key. A smart play to shield him without getting a penalty. And then Leaf took it in. He’s a big weapon for us.”
On David Montgomery’s injury contributing to the fumble…
“No. I wouldn’t ask him that. None of us wanted that to happen, especially him. He’s sick about it. But that’s why we work on it, and he’ll bounce back. Unfortunately, sometimes it happens. But we keep emphasizing it.”
On A.G. and the defense, did you get enough pressure from the edges? Can you tell in real time?
“I’ll need to watch the tape to digest that. There were times when it felt like things were taking a bit too long, but I didn’t notice anything specific. I’ll have to check the film. We battled. Mack, Levi, Reader, Paschal, O’Conner—all those guys contributed. We did what we needed to do to get the win today.”
