Securing victories on the road in the NFL is challenging, but the Detroit Lions have made it seem effortless over the past two seasons, especially this year.
With their 24-6 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, the Lions extended their perfect road record to 6-0 this season, adding to previous wins in Arizona, Dallas, Green Bay, Minnesota, and Houston.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell reflected on how far the team has come, recalling a time when they were 0-11-1 on the road during his tenure. “I was just thinking about that, and now we’re 16-5 since then,” Campbell said. “It’s amazing when I look at the group of guys we’ve got—Goff, Ragnow, Decker, Sewell, McNeill, St. Brown. All those guys are responsible for this turnaround.”
Winning consistently on the road speaks volumes about a team’s strength and its ability to play complementary football. “It starts with preparation,” said tackle Taylor Decker. “We get ready for loud, hostile environments. Our guys are competitors who don’t back down—they want to thrive in tough situations.”
Quarterback Jared Goff echoed that sentiment. “We embrace the road. It’s us against them out there, and we come together as a team.”
Looking ahead, Detroit will have the comfort of three consecutive home games against Chicago, Green Bay, and Buffalo before facing two more road tests in Chicago and San Francisco. They’ll wrap up the regular season with a home game against the Vikings.
The Lions’ resilience on third-and-long situations has also stood out this season. Unlike many teams, Detroit has been successful in converting third-and-six or longer situations by running the ball. On Sunday, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery each converted crucial third downs with runs.
“It’s all about mindset,” Campbell explained. “We take pride in that and make it part of our identity.” Running the ball on third down has caught defenses off guard and forced them to adjust their game plans.
“We take a lot of pride in converting third downs,” Montgomery added. “Whenever we get a chance to run on third down, we believe we can get that first down.”
Looking ahead to Thursday’s Thanksgiving game at Ford Field against the Chicago Bears, the Lions are dealing with a few injuries from the Colts game. Running back Montgomery (shoulder), tackle Decker (knee, ankle), cornerback Carlton Davis III (knee), and wide receiver Kalif Raymond (foot) all left the game with injuries. However, both Decker and Montgomery were optimistic about returning to play on Thursday, while Davis appeared to be in good shape, though further tests were needed. Campbell was particularly concerned about Raymond’s injury.
“We all have injuries, and the league doesn’t care,” Campbell said. “We’ll roll with the punches, get ready for a division game on Thursday. We’ll be ready.”
The Lions have not won on Thanksgiving since 2016, and they are eager to break that streak. “We haven’t won in a while, and that’s something we want to change,” Goff said.
