Commanders, the Hall of Fame quarterback understood perfectly the kind of disappointment and anguish that Dan Campbell and his team were experiencing.

Similar to the 15-2 Lions, Manning’s 2005 Indianapolis Colts also suffered just two regular season losses but faced elimination in the divisional round following a surprising 21-18 defeat by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Following the Lions’ surprising 45-31 loss to the Commanders, Manning took his phone and sent a supportive message to Campbell.

“I mentioned, ‘I understand your emotions; I’ve experienced it too, and it’s not pleasant,'” Manning expressed to the Indianapolis Star on Monday during the “Night of Champions” occasion honoring the 2006 Colts’ Super Bowl XLI win.

“Recognize that, however, we did triumph overall the following year.” “You simply continue to saw the wood.”

“Such a loss could likely prompt an organization to declare, ‘Let’s overhaul everything. …’” “Let’s essentially dismantle everything and begin anew,” Manning suggested. “Alternatively, your organization and the owner may state, ‘Look, we are on the right track, let’s continue.’”

Detroit lost its two coordinators to head coaching positions — Ben Johnson to the Chicago Bears and Aaron Glenn to the New York Jets — but it will keep working toward achieving the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance.

Defensive enhancements are expected to be the main focus for general manager Brad Holmes. In the most recent NFL Mock Draft Consensus, Detroit is expected to choose Texas A&M defensive lineman Shemar Stewart.

Manning stated that “Finish” turned into the Colts’ slogan for the next season. The Lions ought to embrace the same motto.

“We had been knocking at the door, and we were getting nearer,” Manning stated. “We were clearly on the right track.” “Simply had to put in a bit more effort.”