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Detroit Lions built Campbell-tough, ready to roll into NFC Championship game at 49ers

TE Zach Ertz arrives, hopes to help young guys

ALLEN PARK — It is not a usual week for the Lions as they prepare to face the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game on Sunday.

More at stake, more media and more attention, but the same old Dan Campbell. 

“This will be an outstanding test for us, but it’s one we’re ready for, we’re built to handle this,’’ Campbell said on Wednesday. “This will be an outstanding game on the road. Our guys will be ready to roll.’’

Since the start of the season, Campbell has said this team was built for winning. Every player in the locker room meets the standards that Campbell and GM Brad Holmes have set.

“Everything starts with ability, you have to have ability in this league. We have ability,’’ Campbell said. “But deeper than that you have to be able to handle the ebbs and flows of the game in a season, in playoffs. That’s what has been built for three years now. That’s what gives me faith.’’

Center Frank Ragnow has lived through plenty of adversity individually and with the team since 2018. He knows he is not alone.

“We’re hardened by that. I don’t want to say that makes us fearless because we definitely respect our opponent but we’re not going to back down to the battle for sure,’’ Ragnow said.

Campbell is not guaranteeing a win. That’s not his style. He’s guaranteeing his team will be ready to handle anything thrown their way.

“There are going to be things that happen in this game that it’s going to look like it’s out of control and it’s not going to go well for us. As long as we just play the next play it will turn, that’s what we’ve done all year,’’ Campbell said. “That’s the most important thing to keep in mind, but you have to be made a certain way and the team has to be made a certain way to be able to handle that. Otherwise you just crumble. That’s what gives me faith, we have a team that’s built that way.’’

The coach said there was not one certain moment in the season where he knew the team would get down to the NFL’s version of the Final Four.

“I don’t necessarily think like that. To me it’s one week at a time. It’s about finding a way to get the most wins you can, get yourself into a position when you get into the playoffs, you have the best possible advantage to advance,’’ Campbell said.

He said he would’ve said in training camp that he had a good team but it was all about getting into the postseason. 

“We got in and now we’re just one week at a time,’’ Campbell said.

Ertz on board

Veteran tight end Zach Ertz is ready to help. He was signed to the practice squad on Monday after Brock Wright was injured Sunday and participated in the team’s walk-through/practice on Wednesday.

“He’s here. I know he’s in shape. We are just going to gauge this and see where we’re at. He’ll be out here (at practice). He’s played and played at a high level,’’ Campbell said. “There’s things that he does well. It’s just a matter of: Is this the week to use him.”

Ertz said he wants to earn whatever reps he gets.

“I’m just here to support the guys anyway I can, hopefully I can teach Sam (LaPorta) or some of these young tight ends some things,’’ Ertz said.

Ertz, 33, started seven games for the Cardinals in the 2023 season and then was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 24. He was waived on Nov. 30.

INJURY UPDATE: For the Lions, the Wednesday injury report is estimated because they had a walk-through instead of practice. Jonah Jackson (knee), Sam LaPorta (knee) and Frank Ragnow (ankle, toe, knee, back) did not participate; Alex Anzalone (shoulder/ribs) and Josh Reynolds (ribs) were limited; James Houston (ankle) fully participated.

For the 49ers, WR Deebo Samuel (shoulder) did not practice on Wednesday and is uncertain for Sunday.

UP NEXT: NFC Championship game featuring Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers, 6:30 p.m., Sunday on FOX.

Lions notes: Dan Campbell on Goff’s fourth quarter, eardrums and Jackson’s knee

ALLEN PARK — Through 14 wins and even the five losses, Lions quarterback Jared Goff has been the coolest guy in the building when the temperature rises and the game is on the line.

It was never more apparent than in the Divisional Round win, 31-23, over the Buccaneers on Sunday at Ford Field, especially in the fourth quarter.

The game was tied at 17-17 to start the final 15 minutes. That’s when Goff draped a Superman cape across his shoulders and went 11-of-12 for 131 yards including a spectacular 9-yard touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown.

“It’s the way he’s made. I think that’s one of those traits that I believe he learned over time. Look I don’t know, maybe from his father maybe it started there, just his experience, his time playing the game at a high level in big games, understanding what’s coming next,’’ coach Dan Campbell said on Monday. “He does do a great job. He does stay calm, he does stay cool. He knows even if it feels a little shaky, a little rocky, it will smooth out and we keep playing ball.’’

The coach said it’s one of the reasons Goff had that remarkable display in the fourth quarter.

“He can hang in there, he’ll get in a rhythm, he’ll start finding some throws and get hot for us,’’ Campbell said.

The Lions will need the same poise from Goff when they play at the 49ers in the NFC Championship game at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Goff is the third quarterback in franchise history to win multiple playoff games, joining QBs Tobin Rote (1957) and Bobby Layne (1953, 1952). 

Zach Ertz signed 

Veteran tight end Zach Ertz was signed to the Lions practice squad on Monday to fill the gap after tight end Brock Wright broke his forearm in Sunday’s win over the Bucs.

Ertz, 33, played for Lions tight ends coach Steve Heiden while they were with the Arizona Cardinals. So there is familiarity. 

Ertz started seven games for the Cardinals in this 2023 season and then was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 24 and waived on Nov. 30.

He was drafted in the second round in 2013 by the Philadelphia Eagles and played there until he was traded to the Cardinals in October 2021.

In his career he played 151 games with 113 starts. He has 709 catches for 7,434 yards and 46 touchdowns. He has played in eight postseason games with 36 receptions for 381 yards and two touchdowns.

Eardrum check

The fans came through big-time at both playoff games at Ford Field. It, of course, has not gone unnoticed.

“The eardrums were just banging. The only thing I thought is, I would get a blown-out eardrum, we’ll work on that next year,’’ Campbell said.

The crowd and the noise was his vision, where he wanted to go.

“For all the Lions fans, this was the whole idea,’’ Campbell said. “I know everybody’s been dying for it for so long. This is the point because of what we just saw in those last two playoff games.

“The environment in there is better than any you’re going to find in the NFL, back-to-back weeks. 

Injury update

Guard Jonah Jackson underwent surgery for a minor meniscus tear in his knee, per an ESPN.com report. He’s expected to miss the NFC Championship game on Sunday at the 49ers. 

However, Campbell said there’s a chance he might be able to play in the Super Bowl on Feb. 11 if the Lions beat the 49ers. He said it depends on how quickly it heals. “The timeline could be there,’’ Campbell said.

Detroit Lions headed to NFC Championship after 31-23 win over Tampa Bay Bucs

DETROIT — It is not a dream.

The Detroit Lions, who have dwelled in the NFL basement for far too long, came through with a 31-23 win over the Tampa Bay Bucs in an NFL divisional round game on Sunday to advance to the NFC Championship game next Sunday at San Francisco.

The Lions, your Lions, are one win away from playing in the Super Bowl.

“Here we are, sitting one of the last four teams. That was – that’s the type of game that I envisioned against Tampa,” coach Dan Campbell said. “I mean, that’s an outstanding team. That’s a hot team. We knew it was going to come down to the end.”

It had not completely sunk in with the players after the last bit of confetti had fallen from the Ford Field rafters.

“Frank (Ragnow) said it to me when we got in the locker room, ‘We’re playing in the NFC Championship.’ Of course we always work for this and towards this, but it’s here and it’s real. It’s kind of surreal in a sense,’’ said left tackle Taylor Decker, who was drafted by the Lions in 2016 and has experienced plenty of heartache.

Coach Dan Campbell has believed in this bunch all along. He repeatedly has said throughout the season that they “were built for this.”

“Dan talks about it all the time. This team was built a certain way for a reason,’’ Decker said. “And everybody in this locker room was hand-selected to be here. It’s a special group.”

They are not done. It’s back to work on Monday to prepare for the 49ers who defeated the Packers in a divisional game on Saturday night.

Five reasons the Lions won:

1.Let’s start with the very end. Linebacker Derrick Barnes intercepted Baker Mayfield on a second-and-5 from Tampa’s 15-yard line with 1:33 remaining and the Bucs down by 8 points. It sealed the win, allowing Jared Goff to go on the field for the victory formation – just like last week against the Rams. Aidan Hutchinson said it wasn’t the call played. Barnes said he wanted to see if Mayfield was going to throw the dagger behind him.  “I turned around and I see the ball coming and I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m going to drop this.’’ He was so emotional he doesn’t even remember getting to the sideline. He said when the ball hit his hands and he dropped to the turf, his first thoughts were: “What the hell just happened? First career interception, my son’s first game, a lot of emotions out there.”

2. Lions quarterback Jared Goff stayed patient. The Lions managed just 10 points in the first half, but came away with three second-half touchdowns. “It was huge, especially because we know that defense is very stingy. They have a great group especially against the run. We knew we might have to soften a little with the pass to open up the run game,’’ Decker said. “It’s one of those things, you keep chopping, keep hammering.  Those 2-, 3-yard gains in the run game are going to go to 10-yard gains.’’ And that’s exactly what happened. Goff completed 30 of 43 passes for 287 yards and a pair of touchdowns. “Goff made – I mean, fourth quarter, he really showed up there and made some big throws. And we knew we needed to throw the ball to move it today,” Campbell said. “That was – we went out there to Tampa and I’ve said this before, it was like swinging a sledgehammer against a steel door. I mean, we were just over and over and over. And so, we knew we needed to loosen them up before we started to run it and we did that.”

3. When it mattered the most, the defense came up big. Mayfield was sacked four times — Aidan Hutchingon (1), Brian Branch (1), Ifeatu Melifonwu (1.5) and Jalen Reeves-Maybin (.5). While Tampa won the battle in total yards – 408 to 391, the Bucs were just 4-12 on third downs and were held to just 89 rushing yards. They also had eight quarterback hits and two interceptions (Barnes and C.J. Gardner-Johnson).

4. In big games it’s key for the best players to be at their best. It happened for the Lions with wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown (8 receptions, 77 yards, 1 touchdown), tight end Sam LaPorta (9 catches, 65 yards) and running back Jahmyr Gibbs (9 carries, 74 yards, 1 touchdown and four catches for 40 yards). They had help which is what makes this Lions team special. WR Josh Reynolds and running back Craig Reynolds each scored a touchdown..

5. The game was not too big for the Lions, a young NFL team. Give Dan Campbell credit for his belief in this team. Look at the rookies – Gibbs, LaPorta and Brian Branch – they play like veterans. They got their first taste of the postseason a week ago in another close game, they digested it all, and came out firing on all cylinders on Sunday with a performance that will be remembered for a long time. 

UP NEXT: NFC Championship Game with Lions at 49ers, Sunday, Jan. 28 at 6:30 p.m.