Dan Campbell: 'Anything's Up for Grabs in the NFC Right Now'
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell wanted his team to get back to playing their style of football.
While it was far from a perfect performance against the Las Vegas Raiders, Detroit's victory on Monday Night Football cemented that the team could bounce back from one of their most disappointing performances of the 2023 season.
“I told the team the most important thing about this game was us getting our identity back, said Campbell. "That was what all the work that we put in this week was about, the whole focus was about getting back to what we do and that was the most important thing and that really showed through today. Was it perfect? It wasn’t perfect, but ultimately we got what I wanted to get out of it and you come away with a win.
"I thought our defense played outstanding. Outstanding. When you play defense like that you can beat anybody," Campbell continued. "And offensively, we take the turnovers out and we played some really good football, we were explosive, we were able to run the ball. I think our best rushing attacks of the season. (Colby) Sorsdal and (Kayode Awosika) Yode and (Dan Skipper) Skip all battled in there at guard. I thought Decker and Sewell did an outstanding job against a premiere player on the perimeter. So, I just thought the guys bounced back. They played with confidence and they were ready to go.”
Sitting with a record of 6-2 heading into their bye week, Detroit sits one game behind the Philadelphia Eagles (7-1) in the NFC standings.
“It’s good. I mean it’s a good spot to be in. Wins are hard to come by in this league and anything’s up for grabs in the NFC right now," Campbell said. "Our focus, right now, is our own division so we get another win and we help our own cause. Now, we get a chance to heal up, we’re gonna get some guys back after the bye that are important to us, important pieces."
After not having any success against the Ravens, Campbell was satisfied with the level of resolve showcased by his roster and his coaching staff.
"Look, I was proud of the fellas, man, I was proud of the coaches, too. This profession, you come out of a tough loss like last week and then you’ve got to put it behind you and get back to work. I was just, I love the fact nobody lost confidence, nobody was shaken. We knew we just needed to put the work back in and trust in our process. It’s just a helluva job by everybody.”
Quarterback Jared Goff understands the team is playing well, but also still has significant room for improvement.
"It feels great," said Goff. "We’re 6-2, we’re leading our division, playing good ball, and still feel like there’s meat on the bone. So, yeah, it feels good.”
