Category: sports

Five reasons the Lions wrapped up the season with a 19-16 win at Chicago

The season finale meant something to coach Dan Campbell and it showed when they came back for a 19-16 win at the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

Campbell’s words all week were not empty. He challenged his guys to play like it mattered and they listened.

“Good win by the guys, proud of them, that’s the way to finish. I didn’t expect anything different out of them just knowing the guys we had, but nonetheless I’m still proud of them,’’ Campbell said. 

“It’s not the easiest thing – you get eliminated, it’s hard for some guys, you’re back out in the elements with a team that’s already clinched. But our guys fought from the beginning, we were up two scores, they came back, our guys didn’t bat an eye and we were able to finish it out. It was one of the best games we played as far as complementary football,’’ the coach added.

While it’s never good to finish the season out of the playoffs, the win gave them a 9-8 record for the season. It was their fourth straight winning season.

“I believe that things happen for a reason, right, wrong or indifferent. When something like this happens I believe it’s going to be for the best. It’s up to Brad (Holmes) and I to make it for the best,’’ Campbell said. 

Five reasons the Lions won:

ONE: The run game made its return after missing in action for a few weeks and, like Campbell said early in the week, that is everything. Jahmyr Gbbs carried 19 times for 80 yards while David Montgomery picked up 42 yards on 8 carries. Gibbs also had 3 catches for 33 yards including a touchdown. Campbell said the offensive line really showed up and they were without RT Penei Sewell.

TWO: The defense played lights out, keeping the Bears off the scoreboard until early in the fourth quarter. This game meant something for Chicago which was aiming for the NFC’s second seed but they appeared to sleepwalk through the first three quarters. They had no answers for the Lions defense until they scored on a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The Bears were held to 69 total yards in the first half and 270 overall.

THREE: Jared Goff had a real rhythm going from the first two drives when they had to settle for field goals. He kept it going throughout. One of his passes was tipped which led to an interception late, but the offense came back and set up a 42-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. Goff was 27 of 42 for 331 yards, one touchdown, one interception and he was sacked twice. WR Amon-Ra St. Brown finished with 11 catches for 1394 yards. 

FOUR: Dan Campbell was at his best on play-calling. He was steady, not too cute and it worked. He knew the strengths of his guys on the field and made it work.

FIVE: While the Lions had nothing to play for, you wouldn’t know it. They were out to win and it showed. It’s never good to end a season out of the playoffs, but it is good to show some real fight and signs of life in the season-ending game.

Five things to watch as Lions wrap up the season at Chicago Bears; injury updates

It may be the final game of the season, it may not count for anything in the standings, and certainly has no playoff feel but Lions coach Dan Campbell is focused on playing the Bears on Sunday. That’s it. The coach is not looking to the future — yet.

“I know we have one more and I owe it to these guys, to the players and coaches to be locked in for another game here. Because it’s not fair to go out there and say that we’re going to do everything we can, prepare to win but we’re not really doing that,’’ Campbell said. “Then we shouldn’t even go out there. So, I’m not there yet. There are things that have crossed my mind, but I’m so far from all of that. Got to get ready for this one.”

“Well, they are playing for a lot. They are. I’ve asked this the last two years, I’ve sat up there with different players that got an opportunity and I said, ‘Did you give everything you had? Because you had an opportunity to play.’ They played in the last game of the year. ‘And knowing that, knowing that this probably is your last game, did you give everything you had? Was all your focus in it? Was it really? Because there’s no guarantee that you’re going to get a chance to play again or start again.’ You’re just not, every year is different,’’ Campbell said. “There are very few players you could say, ‘That guy, I know, is going to start next year.’ I mean I think – Penei Sewell is probably going to start. I mean yeah, we know that. But it doesn’t go that way with everybody. We’re going to have to reload and go back to the basics of some of the things we do and get back to what we were in ’21, ’22 a little bit.”

Five things to watch:

ONE: Can the run game get back into gear. Detroit has not rushed for 100 yards in three straight games and lost all three. “It’s been a work in progress, obviously. I think it’s a – like with Chicago, I think we can get after these guys a little bit, I really do. They’re giving up almost five yards a carry, so I like our chances there with this defense,’’ offensive coordinator John Morton said. “So, I like the matchup here and I liked it the first game. But yeah, I mean it’s always been a big emphasis every single week, the run game and trying to get it going. And sometimes you get behind the eight ball and you’ve got to throw it and sometimes you don’t get the right looks and sometimes we just aren’t executing. We all have our hand in all of this, so it’s just a little bit of everything.’’

TWO: The offensive line has not lived up to standards recently especially with the injuries forcing starters out and inexperienced guys to step up. The bad news is that RT Penei Sewell (ankle) is out. Looks like LT Taylor Decker and C Graham Glasgow could both return after missing last week’s game. That should help.

THREE: Jared Goff is coming off his worst game of the season with five turnovers — two interceptions and three fumbles. Look for the veteran QB to get back on track. “It’s what I’m paid to do. I’m the quarterback of this team and paid to play on Sundays and do my job and do it to the best of my ability. It doesn’t matter what our record is, what the situation may be, that’s my job,’’ Goff said. “And it’s about – I think Dan talked to us about this earlier – it’s about respect. Not only respect for yourself within your own team, but respect around the League. We want to go out there and put something good on tape, gain a little bit of respect back from probably some of the loss of respect we’ve earned this year.”

FOUR: Rookie WR Isaac TeSlaa has 11 catches in the last five games and four of them were touchdowns. He’s taking advantage of increased opportunities with the injuries to TEs Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright. “He’s done a really good job. And I would say he’s probably grown more than anybody has throughout the year, as far as our young guys. He’s grown the most,’’ Campbell said. “Just – and what you love about him is why he’s here. Of course he’s got ability, but he’s smart, he’s instinctive, he’s tough, he’s a finisher, he’s resilient. Every week we’ve been able to put more and more on him. He’s serving a lot of different roles, playing a lot of different positions. But he’s just continued to – he’s one of those guys that broke through probably that rookie wall at some point and just kept going. And that’s what you want. Those are the guys you’re looking for.”

FIVE: As a play caller, Campbell’s approach will be the same in this final game.  “I’m going to call it to win. I’m going to call it to win. But I think it’s just a little different,’’ Campbell said. “I mean we’ve got some really good skill players and trying to get those guys the ball and finding ways to create opportunities for those I think is the biggest thing. That’s where it starts right now.” The Lions beat the Bears, 52-21, in Week 2 so Bears coach Ben Johnson could be looking. for a little revenge.

LIONS INJURIES: OUT — LB Alex Anzalone, RT Penei Sewell, OL Trystan Colon, S Thomas Harper, DT Alim McNeill; QUESTIONABLE — OL Kayode Awosika, LT Taylor Decker, G Christian Mahogany, T Giovanni Manu and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown.

BEARS INJURIES: OUT — DL Joe Tryon-Shoyinka; QUESTIONABLE — DB Jagaun Brisker, DB Nick McCloud, OL Ozzy Trapilo and WR Romeo Odunze.

PREDICTION: Bears 24, Lions 17.

Five main reasons the Lions lost at the Vikings, killing playoff chances

The Lions’ playoff dreams are just a memory after a 23-10 ugly loss at the Vikings on Christmas.

Detroit  needed to win their two remaining games and have the Packers lose their final two. So much for that. The Lions were a turnover machine and yet even with 6 turnovers starting the fourth quarter they were just behind 13-7.

“Offensively I thought we played hard, but you turn the ball over that many times, that’s what got us,’’ coach Dan Campbell said.

Detroit, which has lost 4 of their last 5, dropped to 8-8 and sent the Packers to the playoffs.

It was so ugly for the Lions that the Vikings won by 13 points even though they had just 3 passing yards.

“We hate losing, they hate losing, we do. Look, some of these things that come up, the effort is there but we are not, we’re just a little off and it’s costing us significantly,’’ Campbell said. “There again, too many turnovers, just couldn’t overcome it.’’

Five of the reasons the Lions lost:

ONE: Turnovers. Four fumbles lost and two interceptions. The Vikings scored 13 points on the first  four miscues. Detroit had zero turnovers in the last 4 games and just 8 on the season entering the game. Goff had gone 5 games without an interception. Also, he was sacked five times.

TWO: Again, Detroit could not establish the run. Not surprising, when you consider LT Taylor Decker was out with an illness and Kingsley Eguakun was in at center instead of veteran Graham Glasgow who was on the sideline in a reserve role. This has been a huge issue, it’s a point of emphasis, but whatever the gameplan was it didn’t work. Campbell stuck with it but it didn’t matter. The Lions finished with 68 rushing yards (2.3 yards per carry) while the Vikes had 138.

THREE: Detroit’s defense was playing lights out with seven sacks of Max Brosmer who passed for just 3 net yards. They also pressure the inexperienced quarterback but Minnesota’s run game kept their offense moving.

FOUR: Injuries. Campbell would never use injuries as an excuse but here we are. It matters and on Christmas the inexperienced offensive line just couldn’t keep up.

FIVE: Play calling at times baffling.

UP NEXT: Lions (8-8) at Chicago Bears (11-4), 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 4.