Everything Dan Campbell Said After Lions Beat Bears

Dan Campbell breaks down win over Chicago Bears.

Chicago Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown and Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell. / Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

Here is everything Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell said after his team defeated the Chicago Bears 34-17 in Week 16.

Opening Statement:

"I was proud of our guys for bouncing back. I knew they would. Right mindset. Look, it takes a special group of guys to emotionally, physically, psychologically bounce back after a tough loss, especially when you haven't lost in a while, go out, win on the road again. I told the guys that I did know that was a team record, franchise record. Thirteen wins has never been done, and I told them one day we'll be able to look back and enjoy that, but not yet. It's not the time. We got our work cut out for us next week, San Francisco on the road, very good team. But as far as today we did what we had to do. Got two takeaways, turned those into 10 points. Got up on them early and really was able to control the game. I thought we played that game the right way. I thought we played it the right way. It was a good job. 

On Commanders' game against the Eagles: 

“Oh, they did? How much time is left? Why don't we just sit here and wait for this.” (Laughter.) 

On the stumble play to TE Sam LaPorta: 

“Listen, (Offensive Coordinator) Ben (Johnson), that was one of his brain child’s. It started that way, and then we massaged it and worked it. How do we make this thing better, and then just (Jared) Goff and (Jahmyr Gibbs) Gibby and LaPorta and the O-line making it work. We cooked it all week, and they did a heck of a job. They really did.” 

On him having a smile on his face when trick plays work: 

“Those make you feel good because everybody is invested in it. It's fun. It's different. It's sound. I know it sounds crazy, but it's sound. It's like dribbling the ball on the ground. That's the thing, you have all those elements, and really everybody is involved in it. They're all kind of accountable to it, too. They want to make it work. It was just great to see, and it was better than practice. No different than the shot to (Jameson Williams) Jamo. It looked good in practice. That was better than practice. It was a hell of a throw, excellent protection, and man, just a great job on his landmark, hitting it with speed, trusting it, great catch. It was big time.” 

On passes to Williams being refined: 

“You're saying that it's become more refined. I would agree with that. Look, as with anything, when you work things enough and gained confidence but then get in the game and make those things happen, you gain another level of confidence. Those are the ones that don't always get worked. Some can say those are lower percentage throws, so you don't always get all of those. But the more you hit and you more you do it and the more you trust who you're throwing to, where he's going to be, the speed, he trusts the throw, then you get better at it. I feel really good with where we're at. He's got rare speed and rare ability. I thought he had a great week of practice, talking about Jamo, and Goff continues to just play at a high level. So it was great. It really was.” 

On Williams' response after the taunting penalty: 

“He was great. 'You just couldn't give them a free ride.' He knew. Just get it out of the way and get back on the field, and he was good. That's what I love about him. He doesn't get bent out of shape. He goes back in and it doesn't affect the way he plays the rest of the game. It was great. I really love where he's at right now. I do.” 

MORE: Dan Campbell: Like Anybody, Jameson Williams Needed 'Ass-Chewing'

On feeling better this week as opposed to last week: 

“Well, getting a win always makes you feel better, but it's really the 24-hour deal. You get through that, and you lick your wounds a little bit, and then you get back on your feet. What do we got to do to get better, what do we have to clean up, and look at it for what it is and not the loss. There's things that caused the loss. It's really that simple. By Tuesday, I'm raring to go, and I think most of the players are that way and the other coaches are that way. Then it's just about, man, let's get to the game next and put our best foot forward and go get a W. I just think we've got a group of guys that we all feel the same way. We don't go in the tank. We don't lack confidence. I think just collectively -- look, I gravitate to people that are like me in that manner, and between coaches, players, and I think that's -- we have a group that is that way. They're very resilient, and they get aggravated if they lose, and they want to clean it up. They're competitive.” 

On if the Lions have enough to compete with the Vikings: 

“You can tell a lot. To me, you can tell a lot. Look, there's things we've got to clean up from this game. We've got a lot to clean up. As I told them, the two most important things for me was I wanted to see us play Detroit football, and I wanted to win. That was it. I gave no other stipulations. Now, we have all the offensively, defensively, we have the keys to victory, all of that, but basically I just wanted to see our identity take shape and I wanted to win this game, and we did that. Now we're back on our feet, and now it's about we've got to clean some things up, because what was good enough today will not be good enough for Minnesota, and it won't be good enough for Philly or whoever some of these teams are, Tampa. Again, I don't know who's going to be in -- the Rams. But that's the point was this week, there was things we needed to clean up with where we were at and begin to learn how to play with where we were at. We did that. Now next week we'll know a little bit more and be able to adjust, and then the final week we'll learn a little bit more and be able to adjust. By then, you're in the playoffs and you're playing your best football with where you're at.” 

On balancing fun while staying focused: 

“I think you do both. I think there is fun in focus. There is fun in focus when it turns to those type of plays having success, when you score and you win. I think that's kind of the environment that you foster. Ultimately, we want our guys to be challenged. We want them accountable. We want them to have fun. We want them to have ownership and investment, man. We're all a part of this, and I think that's huge. I think our guys get that. Really, to me, to have a healthy group of guys, a healthy team, you need every emotion involved. Everything needs to be involved to get the whole person and the whole player. I love where we're at. We've got a lot to clean up, but we have a resilient group, and like I said, every game may be like today was, and what I mean by that is it may not be the cleanest. We've just got to win. We've just got to win and get more efficient at winning with where we're at. This was a good step that way.” 

On what chasing the NFC top seed has meant 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.” 

On Gibbs' big game:

“I thought he did a good job. I did. I didn't think we missed a beat with him. Just taking on a little bit more of those. I thought (Jermar) Jefferson and Craig (Reynolds) stepped in and were solid in the roles that we had for them. Both of those guys made critical plays. I thought it was good. That was somewhat his first taste of really taking on more of the load. So that's good. That's step one. It was good. Good exposure.”