It’s been a while since the Detroit Lions suffered a loss, but as usual, Dan Campbell took responsibility after the defeat.
Despite the numerous defensive injuries, fielding an improvised lineup, the struggles in the running game, and Josh Allen’s MVP-like performance, Campbell still blamed the loss on himself.
“Ultimately, like I told the team, I didn’t have them prepared, not like I should have,” Campbell said. “Not against a team like that. That falls on me. We had several players who’ve performed better, and that tells me it’s my fault. I didn’t have these guys fully ready to go.”
“I thought the effort was there. Guys fought hard, but little things got in the way, things we knew we couldn’t afford to give them—this is too good a team—and we gave them some chances. It’s tough to accept, but at least we now know where we stand against one of the AFC’s top teams, and today, we weren’t good enough.”
Detroit fell behind early. The offense eventually found its rhythm, but it was too little, too late, with the makeshift defense unable to stop Allen and the Bills. Allen passed for 362 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 68 yards and two more scores.
Jared Goff and the offense mounted a second-half rally, but the two-score deficit from the first quarter kept them at arm’s length, where they knew they couldn’t afford to be.
The Lions head coach admitted they didn’t match Buffalo’s urgency, which is why he took the blame instead of anyone else. When asked about the defensive injuries, Campbell rejected the excuse.
“No, I’m not buying it. I’m not. I don’t buy it,” Campbell said. “We can be better. We should’ve been better. We knew how good they were, but that team was more urgent than us today, overall.”
So, what’s next?
The defense will be missing cornerbacks Carlton Davis III and Khalil Dorsey, along with defensive lineman Alim McNeill. The injuries also affected the offense, with running back David Montgomery out indefinitely due to an MCL injury.
Tight end Sam LaPorta mentioned that Campbell informed them they would be practicing outdoors this week. The Lions are on the road for the next two weeks, starting with a late December trip to Chicago to face the Bears. They’ve spent most of the past month practicing indoors.
This will be the Lions’ first outdoor game since their victory over the Green Bay Packers more than a month ago.
“I think coach Campbell will get us ready for the week,” LaPorta said. “He already told us we’ll be practicing outside, which is great. Can’t wait for that. We’ll be ready for this weekend.”
