The 2024 NFL Scouting Combine launched on Tuesday morning with a series of coaches and GMs meeting with the media here in Indianapolis. Lions head coach Dan Campbell contorted himself to a microphone and podium that was too small for his frame and fielded several questions.
Coach Campbell didn’t get into much about the draft in terms of specific players or positions, as expected. He did, however, reflect on the Lions’ successful 2023 season and playoff run that ended too early.
Campbell is ready to channel the frustration of losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game into taking another step forward as a Lions team in 2024. He’s a big believer in building off losses and learning from the failure.
“Absolutely, I think we can benefit from it,” Campbell said. “You should benefit from every loss.”
Campbell’s intensity ramped up as he relived the process of coming up short of the team’s goal of the Super Bowl.
“I think that, if the losses, if they don’t motivate you to not lose again, and for sure to not lose in the NFC Championship game, then something’s wrong.”
Campbell continued,
“To me, that’s the ultimate. You just don’t want to have that feeling anymore. You should do whatever it takes not to want to feel that. So, absolutely, we will benefit from that.”