Contrary to near-unanimous NFL coaching opinion, maybe there is such a thing as a good loss.
Lions coach Dan Campbell was open to considering the merit of a quality defeat based largely on the timing of Detroit dropping Sunday’s game to the Buffalo Bills, 48-42, to snap an 11-game winning streak that began Sept. 22.
“What happens is, you get used to eating filet. And I’m talking all of us. And everything’s good,” Campbell said Tuesday morning in a gravelly, gavel-pounding reply to how the Lions respond to losing to Buffalo. “Life’s good, you know?
“But you forgot what it was like when you had nothing and you ate your (expletive) molded bread. And it was just fine. And it gave you everything you needed. And sometimes you gotta get punched in the mouth and remember what it used to be like to really appreciate where you are. And we’ll do that.”
It was a loss in the standings and for a roster decimated by injuries. Running back David Montgomery, cornerback Carlton Davis III and defensive tackle Alim McNeill suffered season-ending injuries against the Bills. Campbell said Davis, who broke his jaw and required surgery, might be a candidate to return in the postseason, but any timeline would be determined during his active recovery.
“And so, we got bad tastes in our mouth, we got kicked around the other day. We lost a few guys. And you know what? It’s exactly what we needed,” Campbell continued.
“This is exactly what we needed. So we’re going to bounce back. We’re going to respond. We got guys who are about to have an unbelievable opportunity here. And we will play the game any way needed to win. We still got a good offense. We got plenty of defensive players. I can go rattle them off right now. We’re gonna put the best 11 on the field, we’re gonna freakin’ cut it loose, we’re gonna play with our special teams.
“And I don’t give a crap if we have to win by one point for the rest of the year, that’s what we’re gonna do. And I’m gonna be happy about it. We come out of the game with 50 yards of total offense and we win by one, you’re gonna see smiles on my face, I promise you. If it’s the other way defensively, we give up 700 yards and we win by one point, you’re gonna see a (expletive) smile from my ear to ear. I promise you.”
The Lions (12-2) take their rage on the road this week to play at Chicago in the rematch of a Thanksgiving Day game likely to be remembered for a long time in both cities. The Bears currently are in the midst of an eight-game losing streak that includes the 23-20 holiday setback at Ford Field that resulted in the firing of head coach Matt Eberflus.
Detroit clinched a playoff spot and can still finish first in the NFC to receive a bye and home-field advantage. The Lions travel to San Francisco for a Monday night game on Dec. 30 before what could be a trophy game deciding the North division when the Vikings visit Ford Field in Week 18.
Campbell said there is no proxy for the hard-nosed, red-zone machine Montgomery sitting on the practice squad with the Lions or elsewhere.
But Detroit might have trained reinforcements at cornerback in the near future. Ifeatu Melifonwu hasn’t played this season due to an Achilles injury and a broken finger, but Campbell implied his return-to-practice window would open this week. Rookie cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. remains sidelined with a hamstring injury and his return, while not this week at Chicago, could be near.
“We’re gonna find a way,” Campbell said, “and we’re gonna get it done.”
