The Detroit Lions opened the 2025 NFL campaign with a 5-2 record, winning five of their last six contests. Their only recent loss came on the road against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs while dealing with several injuries in the secondary.
But Dan Campbell’s message in his press conference following the team’s bye week was clear — the Lions’ best football is still ahead.
“I really believe we haven’t played our best ball yet, as a team, in all three phases, and that’s what we’re aiming for — sharpening ourselves,” Campbell told reporters. “We know it’ll take all three areas to reach that point.
“Each game is different, and one group might have to carry the load, but we need to play complete, balanced football every week.”
Campbell emphasized that Detroit must keep improving to stay in step with other contenders. One of those rivals is the Minnesota Vikings, whom the Lions will host on November 2 in Week 9.
Dan Campbell Keeps Emphasizing Complementary Football
Detroit’s resurgence under Campbell has largely stemmed from a powerful offense. Yet early in the 2025 season, he’s been intentional about pushing balance across all three units.
The results have followed. The Lions currently rank eighth in total offense and total defense. They stand third in points scored and 11th in points surrendered.
On special teams, Kalif Raymond has already taken a punt to the end zone, while kicker Jake Bates remains perfect inside 50 yards.
As is customary during an NFL bye week, Campbell and his assistants performed self-scouting — uncovering adjustments to fine-tune.
“I truly believe you tighten a screw here, adjust a belt there, and suddenly the engine’s running perfectly,” Campbell said. “Just a few small things, that’s all it takes.
“Simple, fixable details we can clean up — coaches, players, myself included. Everyone has a hand in it.”
Lions Prepare to Host Minnesota Vikings After Bye
Campbell referenced the Vikings while discussing teams still chasing the Lions in the standings. On November 2, Detroit will have a chance to widen that gap.
Minnesota has dropped two straight contests and sits at the bottom of the NFC North. A Lions win would create a three-game cushion over the Vikings, who finished second in the division last season.
The Green Bay Packers currently top the NFC North after defeating Detroit earlier this year. However, the Lions trail by just half a game, with a Thanksgiving rematch in Detroit looming large.
After their home matchup with the Vikings, the Lions hit the road for back-to-back NFC East battles — first against the Washington Commanders, then the Philadelphia Eagles. Those two teams represented the NFC in last year’s championship game.
Washington, notably, eliminated Detroit in the NFC divisional round last postseason.
The Lions will then play a third consecutive NFC East opponent, the New York Giants, before closing that stretch with a highly anticipated Thanksgiving clash against the Packers.
