Dan Campbell, as always, stood tall and took full responsibility after the Detroit Lions suffered a heartbreaking loss.

The Lions’ head coach was visibly emotional during his postgame press conference, struggling to address the 45-31 defeat to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round.

A remarkable 15-win season, a No. 1 seed, and home-field advantage couldn’t prevent an early playoff exit.

Campbell shared his disappointment, saying it wasn’t the right time to reflect on the team’s achievements.

“I told the guys that this isn’t the moment to talk about the season we had or the number of wins,” Campbell said. “Right now, none of us feel that way. The goal is always to reach the Super Bowl, and we fell short. It hurts.”

Campbell placed the blame squarely on his shoulders, saying the team wasn’t adequately prepared for the game.

He referenced a critical too-many-men-on-the-field penalty that led to a pivotal Commanders touchdown in the second half.

The coach acknowledged his mistakes, saying, “If there’s blame to go around, it’s on me.”

When asked about his players, Campbell had to pause several times to compose himself.

He described the sacrifices his players make to compete at the highest level and how those efforts made the loss even harder to accept.

But again, he circled back to his own accountability, attributing the defeat to his inability to prepare the team properly.

Reflecting on the game, Campbell noted how things felt off from the start. “It was just one of those strange days where nothing seemed to go right,” he said.

He described a chain reaction of errors, such as Amon-Ra St. Brown tripping on a crucial play, leading to Jared Goff being sacked and losing a fumble.

“That’s not who we’ve been all year. We didn’t complement each other, and that’s on me. I didn’t have us ready.”

The Lions’ season came to a painful end after the Commanders capitalized on multiple turnovers and penalties.

Campbell didn’t go into detail about the too-many-men penalty but emphasized it was his fault. The error occurred on a critical fourth-and-2 with the Lions trailing by just three points in the fourth quarter.

Washington used the penalty to gain a fresh set of downs from the 2-yard line and scored shortly after, swinging the momentum decisively.

Despite members of the coaching staff yelling for a timeout as Trevor Nowaske ran onto the field as the 12th player, the play went through. Campbell acknowledged the costly mistake: “It’s my fault. Plain and simple.”

The Lions couldn’t recover after that, especially with five turnovers, four of which came while the game was still within reach. The defense also struggled to contain Jayden Daniels and the Commanders’ offense.

Lions quarterback Jared Goff, who was equally emotional, praised Campbell’s leadership and selflessness.

“He shouldn’t blame himself, but that’s just who he is,” Goff said. “We feed off his energy and his passion. He believes in us, loves us, and gives everything he has for us.

We’re disappointed in ourselves too. We know we’re a good team, and it’s tough to lose like this.”

Goff admitted the Commanders deserved credit for their performance, even if it was difficult to acknowledge. “You have to tip your cap to them.

It’s a humbling game, and we were riding high after that win over Minnesota. It’s tough to process this right now.”

Campbell and the Lions now face the bitter reality of an abrupt end to a season filled with promise and historic accomplishments.

Despite the pain, the team’s bond and respect for their coach remain strong.