The Detroit Lions are heading into their season finale with playoff hopes still lingering in the air. The team plays their final game at Lambeau Field verse the Green Bay Packers as the Prime Time game on Sunday. At this point in the season, Head Coach Dan Campbell and the team know exactly what stakes lie ahead.
“This is big, and it’s going to be fun, and let’s go. I mean the intensity is up, now. This is a playoff game…”
Sunday’s game is a must-win for either team for any chance at the playoffs. Both teams come into the matchup 8-8 winning five of their last seven games. The Lions need not only a win over the Packers, but they also need the Seattle Seahawks to lose to the Los Angeles Rams. Due to the fact the Lions-Packers now play at 8:20pm, the Lions will know whether or not they remain in playoff contention by game time. Coach Campbell spoke in a press conference Monday saying game time doesn’t matter, he just wants to play.
“I don’t care. I just want to play. So, it’s coming and it’ll be down the wire and they’ll be there, we’ll be there. And it’s going to be fun. It’s going to be an exciting game.”
“…But right now to get a taste of all this, right now, and be in the hunt, be in the run, I think is huge for our guys.”
– Dan Campbell on what the future holds for this team and where they are as of now. #OnePride
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) January 1, 2023
The Lions didn’t have the ideal start to the season, winning only one of their first six games. At that point, both General Manager Brad Holmes and Owner Sheila Ford Hamp thought it necessary to address the media. Their messages coincided and rang support for everyone they had put into place. They asked for patience during their “tear down and rebuild,” and what happened next, no one could have predicted. The Lions turned around and won 7 of their next nine games. It’s a story Dan Campbell says couldn’t have been written any better.
“I mean you look at the ebbs and flows of this season and different teams including us, and man, all the hype one way or all the lows one way, and this team’s written off, and they’re bad, this team is the greatest thing that’s happened in years, and now look at the slide they’re on – it’s natural. It’s been that way for years, and you’ve just got to be consistent, and just handle your business, go to work every week. You’ve got to have a little luck. You do, but you’ve got to be a resilient team, and I think that’s got to be part of your foundation, and that’s why we put this team together.”
“The fans are going to love this, I just think it’s great… I don’t know if you could write it any better.”
– Dan Campbell on playing the Packers the first time and what it means to play them in their final week. #OnePride
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) January 2, 2023
The confidence in the locker room and throughout the coaching staff is something that has not waivered even the slightest this season. While the Lions have seen late success, Coach Campbell says it’s important the team get’s use to it.
“I think it’s important to get used to being here because that’s what you – this is where you want to be. You want to be in the thick of it…”
Kick-off on Sunday at Lambeau Field is set for 8:20pm ET.
Maddy Miller – Detroit Lions Beat Reporter
On Twitter: @madelynvmillerr
