ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions remarkably haven’t lost back-to-back regular-season games since October 2022.
Let’s put that into perspective. That was Dan Campbell’s second year as head coach, and the Lions started 1-6 after going 3-13-1 the previous year. They have won all 12 regular-season games following a loss in the three years of the streak.
Key players like running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, tight end Sam LaPorta, linebacker Jack Campbell and safety Brian Branch weren’t even on the roster when the streak started.
Detroit beat the Washington Commanders, 44-22, on Sunday. Campbell put himself back in charge of the offense after they laid an egg against the Minnesota Vikings. The Lions coach again proved to have the masterful feel for his team and what they need to do to get them to where they want to be.
The Lions offense scored on all eight possessions before kneeling to end the game, totaling more than 200 yards on the ground and 300 through the air. Jared Goff didn’t get sacked once, there were no turnovers and they didn’t punt a single time.
MLive’s Dungeon of Doom podcast was there for it all over the weekend. Hosts Kory Woods and Ben Raven discuss the win, Campbell’s move to take over the offense, and what the players were saying after some of the changes and their electric showing.
Woods pointed to a quote from Gibbs, the soft-spoken running back, as one that stuck out from the locker room after beating the Commanders. Gibbs said last week’s loss to the Vikings was “probably the worst game we’ve played since I’ve been here.”
“This was all about erasing that bad taste from last week against the Vikings. This was all about getting to 6-3. This was all about avoiding back-to-back losses. They still haven’t lost back-to-back regular-season games in more than three years now,” Raven explained after the game on the podcast, adding that it never truly felt like last year’s playoff loss.
Detroit’s ability to refocus and respond after losses has become a defining trait of Dan Campbell’s tenure. Campbell makes it sound so simple, too. He points to the competitive nature of his staff and roster, saying they just want to win and always seem able “to focus on what needs to be fixed” and “don’t make more of it than it needs to be.”
See below to listen to the latest postgame podcast episode from the Dungeon of Doom:
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