Tag: Washington Commanders

Lions look to clean up mistakes, get back on track to face Commanders

ALLEN PARK — Coming off a disappointing loss to the Vikings, the message is clear for what the Lions need to do to get back on track Sunday against the Commanders.

“I just want to see us play our brand of football for 60 minutes — our style. I want to see us line up with the urgency, the intensity, I want to see the focus, I want to see the finish on the football – offense and defense,’’ coach Dan Campbell said on Wednesday. “I want to see our playmakers making plays within the scheme, within the system, I want to see our coaches coaching at a high level, I want us playing and coaching on a championship-level.’’

Then there is the kicker.

“More importantly, I want to play a helluva lot better than we did last week. We need to amp this thing up, clean this thing up. Let’s play disciplined football for 60 minutes. It doesn’t have to be perfect, I’m not looking for perfect, let’s clean some of this stuff up,’’ the coach added.

The team has not lost back-to-back games since October 2022, Campbell’s second season. They are a half-game out of first place in the NFC North.

While Minnesota played well, the Lions made it easier for them with too many penalties and miscues.

“I think the biggest deal was that it was very hurtful watching the Lions beat the Lions, ‘’ said Scottie Montgomery, assistant head coach/wide receivers. “… The portion that you really have to look at getting cleaned up as soon as possible is the small details that did not show up in practice — a penalty here, a penalty there. Correctively that’s not on the players, that’s not on the coaches, that’s on the collective whole of what we’re doing. We have to be better there.’’

Immediately after the loss, Campbell noted he was not in panic mode. That may be the biggest key to limiting back-to-back losses. That, and a talented roster and coaching staff.

“It’s kind of who we are, just finding a way to bounce back and be resilient, and playing well after losing a game or not playing well and responding the right way or practicing the right way today like we did today,’’ Goff said on Wednesday. “It’s all who we are and what we’re built for.’’

Montgomery said it’s hard to come back in the building after a tough loss. And Campbell and his mentality are key win or lose. 

“I think the biggest deal with Dan is he’s consistent with who he is. The expectations are not created by the outside world, they’re created by his own standards,’’ Montgomery said. “As you look at him and get into the week we’re right back to work. At the same time we do have an understanding of the urgency and what we need to get done. I think he’s very urgent in the way he attacks things. He doesn’t let guys sit on it for a day or two.’’

David Shaw, passing game coordinator, also credits the attitude from the top.

“Coach Campbell is as good as there is, we always turn inward — what can we do better? Coach says it all the time, he starts with himself — what I can do better and everybody else,’’ Shaw said, “Let’s all come together and be better versions of ourselves than we were the week before. We don’t shy away from criticism, because if you want to get better you have to take that criticism.

“We were humming pretty good a few weeks ago. We’re not that far away from it. … We’re not as far away as it looks but sometimes the hardest and most difficult part of what we do is to get that much better.

UP NEXT: Lions (5-3) at Washington Commanders (3-6), 4:25 p.m., Sunday.

Lions process fact that their season is over so abruptly after divisional loss

ALLEN PARK — Less than 24 hours after the heart-breaking, divisional round loss, 45-31, to the Commanders, the Lions were cleaning out their lockers and saying goodbye on Sunday. Lots of hugs. A few questions.

As the No. 1 seed the Lions expected to at least make it to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history. Now they are going home, garbage bags of locker goodies thrown over their shoulders, like Santa.

Center Frank Ragnow said the process of dealing with the finality of it starts now.

“Try to channel it, use it whether it’s anger, sadness, whatever it is, try to use that as motivation into the offseason,’’ Ragnow said on Sunday.

He said coach Dan Campbell’s message to the team was along those lines. “Never forgetting that feeling of watching them celebrate across the field and listening to them in the locker room, just never forgetting that,” Ragnow said.

Defensive tackle Alim McNeill was hobbling through the locker room on crutches. He tore his ACL in the loss to the Bills on Dec. 15 and is recovering from surgery. He said he’s on pace but does not have any type of timeline for returning. He watched the game from home.

“It’s tough, definitely tough. Not what anybody expected this year. We put in a lot of work, we had a goal set for this year, things took a different turn and we’re kind of here and now,’’ McNeill said. “It happens, it’s definitely tough, kind of hard to swallow, nobody knows what to think about it really. It’s definitely tough.’’

It was a team loss with the defense unable to stop Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels and the offense unable to hold onto the ball. Teams with five turnovers rarely win a game.

Quarterback Jared Goff had a rough night throwing three interceptions. He was having trouble processing it immediately after the game.

“I think we all look within and that’s part of it, if you get to this level you’re always going to be looking at yourself before you’re pointing fingers and that’s what makes us as good as who we are,’’ Ragnow said. “That’s what makes (Goff) great. He’s going to feel it, it’s going to burn. But we all know everybody on this team had a hand in last night. We as a team just didn’t play well enough to win.’’

It’s all new to rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a sense of shock, it’s a sense of that team they outplayed us that night you have to get back to it and the only way to ease the pain is to get back to the drawing board,’’ Arnold said. “There’s always somebody who’s dealing with something way worse than a lost football game. I love the game of football, I put my life into it, I know my teammates do and I know we’ll be back.’’

No question the current locker room is loaded with young talent, but in the NFL rosters are fluid which may have made Saturday’s loss even harder.

“I would say the hardest part is just knowing the room will be different. Even in the locker room after the game we took time to say, ‘Guys really cherish this  moment in the locker room because it’s going to be different,’’’ Arnold said. “That’s been the hardest thing of being in the NFL, normally in college you go back and see everybody. But the NFL is a business, people get better opportunities which I know they’ll take those, I’m happy they’ll take those. It’s hard because you get close to a person and then they leave.’’

Ragnow, who just finished his seventh season with the Lions, sees a bright future.

“One hundred percent. There’s so many talented dudes in this room, not only talented but the right mindset. Just the right wired guys that are willing to do whatever it takes for their teammates and put it on the line,’’ Ragnow said. “Again, I’m just so grateful to be a part of this locker room because there’s a lot of special dudes.’’

AND THIS: When cornerback Amik Robertson broke his arm early in Saturday’s game, teammate Terrion Arnold was right there on the field. “I thought it was kind of cool that when I was praying over him, Jayden (Daniels) came right there and we prayed over him together,” Arnold said. “It’s one of those things, it’s bigger than football.” Robertson was scheduled to have surgery on Sunday.

Detroit Lions’ Super Bowl dreams crushed in 45-31 loss to Commanders

Detroit turns ball over 5 times, defense can’t stop Washington

DETROIT — A nightmare of a showing by the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions, squashed their Super Bowl dreams.

The Lions defense had no answer for Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, while Detroit’s offense turned the ball over five times in a 45-31 loss at Ford Field on Saturday night in the divisional round of the playoffs.

It was a dreadful combination. If there is such a thing as un-complementary football, this was it.

“You need a stop, you don’t get a stop, when we do get a stop we turn the ball over. We just didn’t complement each other. It’s just, as everybody knows, you turn the ball over five times — the last one was whatever so call it four that’s fine. It’s just too much,’’ coach Dan Campbell said. “It’s too hard against a team like that to come back. We tried, we just couldn’t quite get over the hump. We thought if we could get within one score we’d have a chance, we just could not get over the hump.’’

Jahmyr Gibbs ran in for his second touchdown with 7 minutes left in the third quarter to tighten the gap, with Washington leading 31-28. But on their next series the Commanders came back with another touchdown.

Not sure what was more heart-breaking — losing in the NFC Championship a year ago or getting kicked out in the divisional round as a No. 1 seed this year. Close call. 

Campbell was understandably emotional afterward and didn’t feel the timing was right to look at the big picture. 

“At the end of the day, after the loss, I love the guys and respect them and appreciate everything they put into it. It’s not the time to talk about a great year or how many wins, cause at this moment I don’t think any of us feel that way,’’ Campbell said. “The whole point of doing what you do is to get to the show, that’s why you play this game. We fell short.’’ 

Five reasons the Lions lost:

ONE: The Lions coaching staff has preached all season about turnovers. And until Saturday, the Lions were decent at holding onto the ball. The five turnovers were the killer. Jared Goff threw four interceptions (one late in the fourth quarter) and lost the ball on a strip-sack. On a mysterious trick play in the fourth — what in the heck was that? — Jameson Williams threw a pass and was intercepted. Campbell said he would’ve liked to have him run it there. 

TWO: Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels was poised, didn’t let the noise bother him and found ways to gash the Lions defense. He threw two touchdown passes, zero interceptions and completed 22-of-31 for 299 yards. A mobile guy, he also ran for 51 yards. “We knew we were going to have our hands full,’’ Campbell said.

THREE: It’s rare that Jared Goff has an off night. It couldn’t have happened at a worse time. The Commanders’ defense was too much and he was not himself, finishing 23 of 40 for 313 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Goff was having trouble putting it all in words. “It’s a humbling game, a humbling sport,’’ Goff said. “We were on top of the world after that Minnesota game, standing here now trying to process this.’’ Gibbs tried but he could not carry the whole offense. He had 14 carries for 105 yards and two touchdowns along with six catches for 70 yards.

FOUR: The defense was the weak link to start due to so many injuries. Then cornerback Amik Robertson injured his elbow on the Commanders’ second play of the game. They also lost safety Ifeatu Melifonwu to a hamstring injury. As he has done all year, Campbell never used injuries as an excuse for a loss. The defense was absolutely decimated most of the season and until Saturday, was able to overcome it and find a way to win 15 games.

FIVE: Coaching was an issue too. The defense did not look prepared for Daniels. Then in the fourth quarter, they had 12 men on the field with the Commanders on a fourth-and-2 at Detroit’s 5. Campbell took the blame for the penalty. Someone should’ve called a timeout when they saw the situation. Instead Brian Robinson ran in for a TD giving Washington a 38-28 lead. The Lions offense moved the ball – earning 521 total yards (compared to 481 for Washington), but was held to just 10 points in the second half.