The Detroit Lions are in the midst of their worst stretch since turning the corner.
It’d been three years since the Lions lost three contests in any given five-game timeframe, but that’s where the they find themselves now, after dropping outings to the Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles since Oct. 12.
Still, head coach Dan Campbell isn’t prepared to panic.
“I’ve been in this a long time, as a player and a coach. I just know what it looks like,” Campbell said Tuesday during his weekly radio interview with 97.1 The Ticket’s “Costa & Jansen with Heather” show. “I know what happens as the season goes on. Some of this stuff — all the sparkly toys, all the shine that’s on a lot of things, that shine begins to come off on a number of teams. The ones that just look like clunkers or not what they’re supposed to be or underperforming, all of sudden they start doing what they do, they get hot, they find themselves, and then they’re unstoppable.”
While it wasn’t three losses in five games, the Lions found themselves in a similar position in 2023, going 3-3 from Weeks 12-17. That run featured losses to the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving and Chicago Bears two weeks later. The Lions also went on the road to the Dallas Cowboys, losing the infamous reporting as eligible debacle.
They closed the regular season 3-1 after losing to the Bears, setting up their march to the NFC Championship Game.
“I’m still to that point where I feel like we still have not quite played our best game, our best games. And I’m talking about in all three phases,” Campbell said Monday. “That’s the one thing — win, lose or whatever — where you just want to feel like, ‘All right, man, all three units contributed, and we really complemented each other.’ … I really feel like we have not played our best ball yet, collectively, all three units.
“Once we get there, I believe there’ll be no looking back. Now, it doesn’t mean you’re not going to have ups and downs. There’ll be some things in there, but yet, man, we’re going to be running so much more efficiently. So, I’m just optimistic. I know we’re going to be OK here. We weather the storm, we get through it, we correct these issues. Let’s put together a good plan and let’s play better than we did, collectively, from last week, and do what it takes to win the game.”
The Lions (6-4) are currently on the outside looking in of the NFC’s playoff picture, eighth in the conference and third in the division. Four of their next five games are at home, including Sunday’s matchup with the New York Giants. Detroit will then cap the regular season with a couple of trips to Minnesota (Week 17, on Christmas) and Chicago (Week 18).
Everything is still in play for the Lions, including winning their third straight NFC North title; they’re one game behind the Bears (7-3) with seven games remaining. But they’ve got to put things together, sooner rather than later.
Campbell believes his team is close to doing so.
“You roll through the season like we did last year, you get two losses. Anything over two losses this year, on the outside world, was gonna be looked at as negative,” Campbell said, when asked why he’s confident despite doubt from those not in the building. “We can’t worry about that, and I told our team you can’t worry about it. We’ve got to worry about playing our best ball. Don’t worry about what’s outside. Worry about the opponent in front of you and how do we improve every week. As a team, in all three units.
“We will play to the strength of our team, man. Because, ultimately, that’s what it comes down to. You learn something every game. You learn something every big game you’re in about yourself and your team, what to do (and) what not to do. We’re going to be better for all this, I believe that, man. We need a little bit of this, where we’ve got to sharpen ourselves and go through the fire to get better.”