Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell still stands by the unique comments he offered during his introductory news conference back in January 2021.
“I don’t regret anything I said,” a somewhat defiant Campbell told NBC Sports’ Peter King shortly after Detroit’s thrilling 24-23 wild-card playoff win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. “I said it because I was compelled to say it. I believed it. I believe in what we are. I know it’s a little bit off the wall and it’s a little whatever. But I believed it. This area represents something special and something different. For where this team’s been over the last 30 years and beyond, really, it was time to change.”
Roughly three years ago, Campbell famously said in his first news conference as head coach that his Lions were “gonna be built on, we’re gonna kick you in the teeth.” He added at the time: “When you punch us back, we’re gonna smile at you and when you knock us down, we’re gonna get up, and on our way up, we’re gonna bite a kneecap off. We’re gonna stand up. It’s gonna take two more shots to knock us down. On the way up again, we’re gonna take your other kneecap.”
Under Campbell, the 2022 Lions went 8-2 after Halloween before the 2023 edition of the club won the NFC North division title with a 12-5 record. On Sunday night, Detroit earned a playoff victory for the first time since January 1992.
“You can’t do this in Dallas,” Campbell continued while speaking with King. “It’s been done in Dallas. Can’t do this in Pittsburgh. They’ve won and won a lot. It’d been so long here. I just thought, ‘We can do it here, though, and make it special, and we will do it.'”
The Lions now know they’ll host the winner of Monday night’s matchup between the No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and No. 5 Philadelphia Eagles this coming Sunday. Campbell sent a message to passionate Detroit fans via a text shared by Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated about what occurred at Ford Field on the second Sunday of January and about what could be to come.
“I’m just so proud of the coaching staff and these players for rewarding Detroit with a home playoff win,” Campbell told Breer. “Our fans took it to another level today, and it helped us win! To those fans who have kept the faith, you deserve this! To the doubters, stay off our train—it’s too late for you!”
As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Lions fifth among the betting favorites at +950 odds to win Super Bowl LVIII next month. Campbell probably enjoys Detroit still being somewhat of an underdog even after Sunday’s result.