Dan Campbell got emotional as he addressed the media Saturday following the Detroit Lions’ early exit from the 2024 playoffs.
The Lions were upset by the Washington Commanders in a 45-31 affair at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich. The loss ended a banner year for the Lions which saw the team finish with a franchise-record 15-2 mark during the regular season.
But despite having legitimate Super Bowl aspirations this year, Detroit simple got outplayed on their own home field.
Campbell was asked to put into words what it felt like to lose as the heavy favorites heading into Saturday’s contest.
“It just hurts to lose, man,” a teary-eyed Campbell told reporters. “And I don’t care if you’re the 7-seed, 6-seed, 5-seed, 1-seed. Cause I’ve lost at all of them, damn near. And it stings and it hurts. It hurts. You have to get up. … It’s my fault. It’s my fault.”
Dan Campbell is emotional after the Lions' loss to the Commanders.
(via @Lions) pic.twitter.com/zkdQbG7dBW
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 19, 2025
The Lions head coach took ownership of the playoff loss, similar to how he did during his team’s postseason exit last season. The Lions blew a 17-point lead to the San Francisco 49ers in the 2023 NFC Championship Game in part due to some questionable decision-making from Campbell.
One huge difference this time around is that Detroit could very well lose both its standout coordinators, DC Aaron Glenn and OC Ben Johnson. After sticking around for another year following last season’s early exit, Glenn and Johnson have become hot names as teams search for head coaches.
If both decide to leave in the offseason, the Lions could take a considerable step back in 2025.
