The Detroit Lions stood pat during the trade deadline. Now, head coach Dan Campbell wants his club to move forward following a surprising home loss.
Detroit (5-3) will look to bounce back from a 27-24 loss to Minnesota when it faces the Washington Commanders on Sunday in Landover, Md.
Despite injuries to his offensive line and defensive secondary, Lions general manager Brad Holmes didn’t complete any deals before Tuesday’s deadline.
“My job is to freaking get these guys ready to play on Sunday. And I’ve got the roster to do it,” Campbell said. “We’ve got depth, we’ve got the dudes, we’ve got weapons, we’ve got a quarterback. I’ve got to do my part.”
The Lions didn’t get the job done last week against the Vikings, as their vaunted duo of running backs, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, was held to 65 yards on 20 carries while Jared Goff was sacked five times and under steady pressure.
“I just want to see us play our brand of football for 60 minutes, our style,” Campbell said. “I want to see us line up, I want to see the urgency, the intensity, I want to see the focus, I want to see the finish on the football – offense, defense. I want to see our playmakers making plays within the scheme, within the system. I want to see our coaches coaching at a high level. I want us playing, coaching on a championship level. And more importantly, I want to play a hell of a lot better than we did last week.”
There’s also the element of revenge.
The Commanders pulled off a stunning 45-31 upset at Detroit’s Ford Field to knock the top-seeded Lions out of the playoffs last season. Then-rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels gave the Lions’ banged-up defense fits, passing for 299 yards and two touchdowns without getting sacked and rushing for 51 yards.
Detroit, in turn, committed five turnovers, as Goff was intercepted three times and also committed a key fumble.
“That’s definitely a part of it, absolutely,” Goff said of the revenge angle. “I think more than that, we want to get off of a losing streak here and get a W. Certainly, you’re thinking about that, but I think it’s nine games ago now. So yeah, we’re trying to get a win this year and maybe use that as a little added motivation if we need it.”
A Commanders’ victory this weekend might be an even bigger surprise.
Daniels sustained a dislocated left elbow in the fourth quarter of a lopsided 38-14 loss to Seattle on Sunday night. Daniels is out indefinitely, which means Marcus Mariota will make his fourth start this season.
Washington (3-6) has lost four straight games and its defense was shredded by the Seahawks. Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold completed 21 of 24 passes for 330 yards and four touchdowns. Washington’s pass defense ranks last in yards per attempt (8.8) and fourth worst in touchdowns allowed (19).
Head coach Dan Quinn feels his players might be pressing.
“The nice part about our team is the culture and environment to push one another to get better. When you don’t hit the marks, the frustration of why and where (builds),” he said. “There can be over-trying or step out (of position) to go make plays. What it calls on when your backs are against the wall is real discipline. You don’t have to do anybody else’s gig. … That’s what’s needed for us and our team right now.”
Lions offensive tackles Penei Sewell (shoulder) and Taylor Decker (shoulder) did not practice on Wednesday, nor did safety Kerby Joseph (knee).
Washington’s top receiver, Terry McLaurin (quad), continued to be sidelined after missing Sunday’s game.
