In Week 14, the Detroit Lions suffered their second consecutive division loss. Both times, the team facing the Lions in the NFC North had a losing record going into the game.
In his postgame news conference, Lions head coach Dan Campbell expressed his displeasure with the team’s most recent setback, a 28-13 loss to the Chicago Bears on December 10.
Campbell was especially angry at his team’s lack of discipline in the defeat in Week 14.
“I felt that we gave it our all. Following the Bears game loss, Campbell told reporters, “I thought we did some really good things at times.” Honestly though, the discipline was the cause.
“Today, the fines cost us. That is essentially the game’s plot.
In the Bears game, the Lions committed 8 penalties for 59 yards. Since the game against the Green Bay Packers in Week 4, Detroit had not committed as many penalties or as many penalty yards in a game.
In addition, the Lions gave up three interceptions and failed to force a defensive blunder against Chicago.
Dan Campbell Rips Lions for Not Being Serious Enough to Stop the Bears
In Chicago, the Lions didn’t really accomplish anything right. They only managed 267 offensive yards, and the Bears were able to rush for 142 yards against them.
Against Detroit, quarterback Justin Fields had yet another impressive day in the running game. On 12 carries, he gained 58 yards and a touchdown via rushes.
However, Campbell brought up the team’s lack of discipline in nearly every statement he made to the media on December 10.
“It was the disciplined part of it, we can go through all these numbers that you want,” Campbell remarked. “Off the snap, you don’t turn the ball over down there in the red zone.
The moment we harvest hay, we incur a significant fine that costs us money. In this setting, it’s too difficult to overcome.”
Campbell blamed his passing offense on the weather. Instead of using it as an excuse, the head coach gave an explanation of why first-down efficiency was more crucial than normal.
On first down, the Lions weren’t very efficient. They consequently encountered numerous passing scenarios on second and third down.
Out of fifteen third-down attempts, the Lions only converted six. They were also ineffective on fourth down, going just 1 for 5.
The Lions defense displayed a lack of discipline on the play that ultimately proved to be the game’s turning point. When the game was deadlocked in the third quarter, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson jumped offside, giving the Bears a free play.
Deep down the field, Fields found D.J. Moore, who scored a 38-yard touchdown. The Bears led the game for the remainder of the afternoon after the score.
“Discipline is the coaching point [on the fourth down],” Campbell informed the media. All disciplines are in place. And for that reason, I bring it up.
“As a well-behaved team, we simply weren’t sufficient today; they were.”
Campbell Is Not Too Worried That The Issues With Discipline Will Persist
Campbell concluded his press conference with a little more composure, despite the clear anger he voiced with the discipline of his players. He maintained that, like it has done in the past this season, the club would recover.
“We just need to regain our discipline and keep fighting like we fight,” Campbell stated. “Dude, this wasn’t our day today. We couldn’t manage it. That’s what happens when you play that way against a good team, and this is a terrific squad.
“We’ll tidy up and go on.”
Campbell made it clear that he had no intention of changing. To emphasize discipline to his players, he did, however, warn he would be “a little bit more irritable” during practice.
