Ben Johnson – Lions Lowdown

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.

Lions GM Brad Holmes will not overreact after playoff loss; does not feel walls closing in

He fully trusts Dan Campbell to hire coordinators who are good fits

Do not look for Lions GM Brad Holmes to make “crazy wholesale changes” after the disappointing loss to the Commanders in the divisional round of the playoffs. He thinks all the pieces are in place moving forward.

“Obviously it sucks, it’s humbling, but no overreaction. There’s nothing else to do but get back to work,’’ Holmes said at his end-of-season press conference on Thursday.

The level-headed GM has routinely said he won’t be a prisoner of the moment and this moment is no different.

“We’ll assess and evolve like we always do every year, we’ll work to improve, but literally there is nothing else to do but get back to work,’’ Holmes said. “That’s what we’ve been saying since Day One, it’s all about the work and that’s what we’ll continue to do.’’

He thought the Lions, whose defense was decimated by a slew of injuries, were very close this season winning 15 games, the NFC North title and earning the No. 1 seed. He’s confident about success next season.

“Nothing is going to alter what our approach has been in terms of trying to continue to improve and keep building. I did think we were very close, obviously felt very good about this season, but fell short. But we’re going to stay committed and stay committed to the process,’’ Holmes said.

He refuses to put a window – of sorts – on how many more years the Lions can contend for a Super Bowl.

“I understand that contrasts come up and stuff happens, but we feel so good about our young core and young nucleus of players and we feel really good about our quarterback (Jared Goff) and how he’s playing — him having an MVP caliber season this year,’’ Holmes said. “I think all the pieces are in place. I don’t feel walls closing in or a window. And, again, we make an effort to avoid those kind of things.’’

ONE MORE THING

Holmes said they were prepared to lose coordinators Ben Johnson (who signed as head coach with the Bears) and Aaron Glenn (who is headed to the Jets).

“I have so much respect for the unknown, you can’t know exactly what’s going to happen. Obviously we were prepared to lose those guys, those guys were great coaches. Call it what it is, we were lucky to have both of them this year,’’ Holmes said. “… I have the full faith and trust in Dan (Campbell) to make sure we’re going to have the right people in place in those spots.’’

Lions Dan Campbell: ‘We’re in the middle of the circus, man, and it’s about time to perform’

Five things to watch as the Lions host the Commanders

A year ago, the Detroit Lions won a pair of playoff games and ended their 32-season drought without a postseason win.

It was good, but it wasn’t enough. In fact “it takes more” became the motto for this season. Mottos don’t win games, but they can plant the seeds. Thriving is mutual and that is what the Lions have accomplished with a second straight NFC North title, a 15-2 record and the No. 1 seed.

It all leads up to Saturday night when the heavily-favored Lions host the Washington Commanders in the NFL divisional round.

The bull’s-eye has been on the Lions for every game this season so it’s not new. Coach Dan Campbell does not feel a difference of expectations.

“I look at it as like, I know who we are, I know what we’re about, I know how we have to prepare, I respect the opponent, and now it’s time to go to work, that’s how I look at it,’’ Campbell said. “I don’t look at anything else, I don’t think of, ‘What if it doesn’t, what if the –‘ The what ifs, man, I couldn’t sleep at night if I lived that way, there’s no freaking way. So, no, I don’t think of that.

“We’re the one seed, we earned the one seed, we’ve got a good opponent coming in and we’re going to be ready to play. That’s how I look at it,’’ the coach added.

With the turnaround from a 3-13-1 season in 2022, the Lions may not exactly be America’s team now, but they are in the conversation. Under Campbell the Lions are 11-2 in primetime games. The networks love them and the ratings that come along with them.

While there may be extra attention it’s nothing the Lions cannot handle.

“We’ve had attention for four years here. I mean, there’s been more stuff that’s been made out, that’s been built one way, we’ve been so good, we’ve been so bad, we’re a laughingstock, now we’re great, and it’s just been this rollercoaster of ups and downs, and it’s the next week of it, you know what I mean?’’ Campbell said.

“And so, this is nothing new that we’re in, this is nothing new for me, for the coaches, for the players. We’re in the middle of the circus, man, and it’s about time to perform, that’s the world we’re in,’’ the coach added.

Five things to watch:

ONE: Jayden Daniels’ poise for a rookie quarterback has turned heads all season. He’s thrown 25 touchdowns against just nine interceptions and he’s the team’s leading rusher. Obviously, mobile quarterbacks can present issues. “He is dangerous. He’s dangerous, he poses a major threat. He does not play the position like a rookie quarterback. He’s composed, he understands how to progress, he sees the field well, he can buy time with his legs, he’s a dangerous runner, he’s smart, you can tell he understands how to run that offense, what they’re asking him to do, and then he’s got weapons,’’ Campbell said.

TWO: Run the ball and run it some more. Running back David Montgomery will return from a knee injury with no pitch count. He’s ready to roll and help exploit Washington’s porous rushing defense which gives up 137.5 yards per game. He said stakes are high each game but there’s a certain vibe this week. “We’ve got guys in the locker room who take this personal, they take their job very serious. Everybody is locked in — you can see it, you can feel it, you can smell it. I’m just happy to be a part of it,’’ Montgomery said.

THREE: Ball possession will be key. The Commanders are good at it, so are the Lions who ‘edged’ the Vikings 36:12 to 23:48 in time of possession in the win that clinched the No. 1 seed. In the 23-20 wildcard win at Tampa last week, the Commanders held the ball 35:26 to Tampa’s 24:34. “Certainly to possess the ball is big, that’s what Washington does a good job of, watching them, I mean, they possess the ball, they finish the game out’’ Campbell said. “They were able to do that, get first downs, and so that’s big, and to be able to run the ball is what helps you do that. So yeah, that’s a big part of it.”

FOUR: Expect Jared Goff to have a good day against the Commanders’ man coverage. He excels when that’s the case and Washington is big on it. Goff never takes any team lightly. “They’re good, they’re young, they’re feisty. I think the whole team is young and hungry and we’re aware of that and we have to come out and be ready to go,’’ Goff said.

FIVE: Get points on the board early and keep piling them on. The Lions have outscored opponents 103-84 in the fourth quarter all season and 54-29 in the last five games. They finish, it’s why they’ve only lost two games. Keep in mind, the ‘’Cardiac Commanders’’ excel at finishing too. Their last five games were all won by a total of 17 points, They’ve outscored opponents 64-28 in the fourth quarter of those last five games. Daniels excels in clutch situations with a 117.3 passer rating when tied or down by eight points or fewer in the fourth quarter or overtime.

UP NEXT: The Lions/Commanders winner will face the winner of Rams/Eagles (Sunday at 3 p.m.) in the NFC Championship game at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 26, at Ford Field.