Dan Campbell’s fake punt call vs. Chiefs ‘seeps into us and our confidence on the discipline’

It labored and helped spotlight the fearless mentality Campbell brings to the sideline. Whenever you play Patrick Mahomes on the street, even with out his star tight finish on the discipline, you’ll be able to’t be afraid to take possibilities. Play afraid, and you’ve got already misplaced.

“That’s one thing that (particular groups coordinator Dave) Fipp and I talked about,” Campbell mentioned of the fake. “We knew there was going to be a proper time to do it. I felt like that was the proper time to do it.”

Whereas he punted on a couple of different fourth-down possibilities, Campbell’s membership scrapped all evening, overcoming self-inflicted wounds — a nasty snap, a large fumble in the purple zone, penalties, permitting Mahomes out of the pocket — to safe a 21-20 street win towards the defending champs.

“I believe we anticipated to win this sport,” Campbell mentioned. “We got here in right here and we knew what we would have liked to do, and we knew it wasn’t going to be straightforward. We did that. What it actually means is that it’s one. That’s one. Now we have to wash up our points that harm us on some stuff at present and be prepared for Seattle in 10 days. That’s what it’s.”

Campbell’s employees can definitely level to some miscues and areas they’ll play higher, however the grinding win displayed the workforce’s capacity to play keep-away from the NFL’s finest QB, and a protection that will not be so simply ripped aside in massive spots.

It wasn’t a fairly win, and with the Chiefs lacking two stars and dropping the pigskin prefer it was greased in oil, the Lions received some assist from their opponent. However wins are wins. For a workforce that has far too few in the previous six a long time, not shrinking in Thursday’s massive moments helps validate the ballooning offseason hype.

“I did not be taught something. I received verification on what I already knew,” Campbell mentioned. “It is a resilient workforce. It already was a resilient workforce and we added items to that resilient workforce. We’re constructed to deal with some stuff and we did that at present towards an excellent opponent.”

Subsequent cease on Prepare Hype: Ford Subject, which might be deafening in subsequent week’s house opener versus the Seahawks. Now Campbell and Co. should maintain that practice rolling in Motown.