Locker Room Buzz: Lions React to Bears Win, Cheer Eagles Loss

Postgame quotes following Lions' win over Bears.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14). / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Here is a collection of postgame quotes from Detroit Lions players and coaches, via the team's social media channel, following their 34-17 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 16.

Dan Campbell

On chasing the number one seed and what it means to the team: 

“I don't know if I can tap into that like the players could right now because I'm just trying to recover from this game. I get pretty emotionally drained after these. I do know that it's exciting to be where we're at. It really is. Like to me, this is why you want to coach and play in this league. This is when your eyes get opened, when competition is at its highest, people are breathing down your neck or you're chasing somebody and you're at the top. It just doesn't get any better than this. This is what it's all about. Can it get frustrating, can it get stressful? Yeah, it gets all those. But also it's the drug. It's the drug. This is what you live for. Look, some can't. Some can't handle this. It's too much for them. Players, coaches, teams, it's just too much. But not our group. This is the good stuff, man, and we're in the middle of it right now.” 

Jared Goff

On Jamyr Gibbs' performance as the lead running back:

We always knew. We always knew he could do it, and obviously it showed today. I thought he ran great. I thought he saw it great. I saw he thought it out of the backfield great. Then I thought Craig (Reynolds) and Jermar (Jefferson) were awesome, too, in their own way, and then (Sione) Vaki at the end of the half, they were making some plays. Those guys stepped in really nicely today and made it so it wasn't just him, but he did a hell of a job.” 

Amon-Ra St. Brown

On the upcoming rematch of last season's NFC Championship game:

“I think, for me personally, I want to win. I remember that feeling walking off that field last year, didn’t feel good. Going in there, obviously we all want to win. I don’t know if it’s gonna get brought up or not, but I feel like each player that was here last year knows the feeling that we had last year and we want to go in there and hopefully come out with a dub. But we’ve got to prepare the right way. They’re a good team. I feel like the record that they have, I feel like, doesn’t really show what kind of team they are. They can put up points in a hurry and they have a good defense.”

On where last year's NFC Championship loss ranks amongst the big losses in his career:

“I played a few, in college not really any big games, but in high school when you think those are the biggest games of your life. I lost in the CIF when I was in high school, my junior year, that one hurt. But I would say that game was probably up there with the worst L’s that I’ve had in my life, in my football career. Just the way everything played out was just like a horror movie. But we’re back, a new year, we’ve got a chance to redeem ourselves. So I think we’re pretty excited.” 

Jahmyr Gibbs

On if he is surprised when Ben Johnson designs a play like 'Stumble Bum':

“Now I’m not. I used to be. Now it’s just — I expect something every week.” 

On if it felt any different being the lead back with David Montgomery out:

“Yeah, it did feel kind of weird. I’d come back and be like, ‘Whose drive is it?’ They’d be like, ‘It’s yours.’ And then, yeah, it felt good.” 

Studs and Duds: Gibbs Owns Lead Back Role

Detroit Lions fans cheer on against Chicago Bears during the first half at Soldier Field in Chicago / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jameson Williams

On Washington beating Philadelphia and the excitement in the locker room:

“We’re just trying to lock up the number one seed while we still focus on winning these next two games. Winning the number one seed will help us a lot, we’re dealing with injuries a lot, get some rest that first week and then come back, and we’d get home field advantage. I think that’s big to us, but it’s not really on our mind. Somebody just came in and put the game on. 

On his taunting penalty and the back-and-forth with Tyrique Stevenson:

“I ain’t seen no back and forth today. On the first play, I caught the ball, I spun it. I didn’t even say nothing to him, he didn’t say nothing to me. I just spun the ball. I think the flag came from the overreaction from their sideline. Everybody was like, ‘Oh, oh, oh.’ But people spin the ball when they make big catches. You probably watch the game and see the ball get spun 12-plus times today. We didn’t say nothing to each other today. And last game, it’s just football. There ain’t no static or no beef, none of that. We just go out there and play football and emotions run high when you’re in the game. He wants to win, I want to win, so we’re gonna do everything possible to win.” 

Sam LaPorta

On executing the 'Stumble Bum' trick play:

“Yeah, it was great. Ben’s as creative as they come. It was great to go out there and execute that. All 10 other guys executed it, so it was cool to get that one off the call-sheet and come up with a touchdown there.” 

On what the Commanders beating the Eagles means to the team:

“We’re looking to execute and take care of the games ourselves. If other people are helping us, all the power to them. But we’re looking to win these next two games and secure that one seed without all the other stuff, but I guess it’s good that Washington won, since you’re telling me.” 

Josh Paschal

On his first quarter fumble recovery:

“It felt great. Just a muffed exchange on a jet-sweep, and I was able to get to it before the receiver was. It was good just to get the momentum going on our side.” 

On the second fumble with multiple players trying to knock the ball out:

“Exactly. It just comes down to maximum effort and flying around. B.B. and Mitch Agude just getting in there and getting the ball out. That’s big, just for a defense to have two takeaways in the first half. And our offense, to have an offense like we do, it just gives them a boost. If you have an offense like that and you’re giving them the ball twice in the first half, it’s hard to beat us.” 

Ifeatu Melifonwu

On the coaches having the trust to play him so much after missing the first 14 games of the year:

“That’s a lot. Missing that many games and them having the faith to put me right back in, that’s huge and I appreciate all the coaches. And I think they know that.” 

On whether he felt ready to go or if he had to work through some rust in his first game:

“No, I think I had some rust to knock off. Especially first quarter, and then towards the end I got into my groove. Started getting my wind back.”