In the locker room after the 40-34 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night at Levi’s Stadium, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said he knows what the victory means.
Aside from avenging last year’s NFC championship game loss and beating the team that ended their 2023 season, it makes hosting the NFC North rival Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night, a game that will determine the division champion and No. 1 seed in the conference, that much more important.
“I got an unbelievable amount of respect for you guys,” Campbell said. “I know what this was. And there’s all these arguments about what did this game really mean because of next week.
“To be able to have the division and the one seed on the line back at home … This is what it’s all about. This is why you are in this profession, man. This is as good as it gets.
“We are so thankful for this opportunity. This is gonna be unbelievable.”
In his speech, Campbell didn’t hold back his affection for the players.
“I respect the (expletive) out of you guys. I respect the (expletive) out of how we roll the ball out and you guys just out and compete,” he said. “I can’t even put it into words, man. I cannot put it into words.
“I love the hell out of you guys. I love the hell out of you guys. … That’s a hell of a job. It’s a hell of a ride and we got one more.”
Campbell then asked Lions quarterback Jared Goff to break it down, as he usually does at the end of the locker room meeting.
“I can feel it right now, boys,” Goff said. “We know what is at stake next week. Big boy game. Let’s go.”
The Lions host the Vikings at Ford Field at 8:20 p.m. Sunday in the final game of the NFL regular season. Tickets, right now, are hard to get, with the cheapest being $332 on StubHub for standing room only.
