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Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters that his team “probably needed” the 38-6 loss that they took to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard.
“You don’t want these to happen but when it does, it recenters you, it refocuses you. And that’s all I know,” Campbell said. “I don’t want it to happen. Nobody wants it to happen.”
Coming off a four-game win streak during which the Lions averaged 29.0 points per contest, their offensive output against Baltimore was the team’s lowest-scoring performance all season.
“Nobody likes to look over there and watch them having a great time because they kicked our ass,” Campbell explained, according to Woodyard. “Nobody thinks that’s fun, but I know that motivates me for next week, it motivates our team. You’ll do any and everything you can not to have that feeling again. That’s all I mean by that.”
Detroit is no stranger to overcoming rough midseason losses, especially during the former tight end’s tenure as head coach. In 2022, the Lions scored six total points during a two-game losing streak that occurred from Week 5 to Week 7.
Over the team’s next 11 contests, Detroit finished with a record of 8-3 while averaging 27.9 points per game.
Campbell’s message was echoed by many players in the Lions’ locker room, including rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
“I think it raises the intensity in the locker room, knowing that we’re not invincible,” Gibbs said (per Woodyard). “We’re not invincible so everybody’s going to be more tuned in on their details and what they’ve got to do to be more disciplined.”
The 12th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft was one of the few bright spots on Sunday, picking up 68 yards on 11 carries while also recording a career-high 58 receiving yards.
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.@Jahmyr_Gibbs1 goes untouched into the endzone 🦁
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With a record of 5-2 after the loss, Detroit is still comfortably sitting in first place in the NFC North. The Lions’ next opportunity to bounce back will come against the Las Vegas Raiders, a team that’s currently allowing 21.8 points per game.
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