Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell was humble in defeat on Saturday, in a way only Dan Campbell could be.
The 46-year-old could only watch on as his Lions lost 37-23 to the Carolina Panthers. And he was the first to admit that his team got its butt kicked at the end of the game. That’s exactly what he told the Panthers interim HC Steve Wilks during their postgame embrace.
The loss must have been tough for Campbell and the Lions because they could have controlled their destiny as it pertains to the playoffs, with both the Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks losing.
The Lions HC took full responsibility for the result, claiming he didn’t have the team ready.
“They got after us pretty good, man,” he lamented. “That’s a hard pill to swallow there. You say things, but ultimately, when you play that way it falls on me, I didn’t have them ready to go. That wasn’t good enough. That was a hungry team we played and we didn’t look as hungry as they did. That’s the bottom line.”
Shades Of Harbaugh
Campbell’s energy is reminiscent of Jim Harbaugh’s when he had that infamous incident with Jim Schwartz 11 years ago.
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The two Jims nearly came to blows after Harbaugh shook Schwartz’s hand a little too enthusiastically as he celebrated a San Francisco 49ers win. Schwartz, who was the Lions’ head coach at the time, took umbrage and chased Harbaugh well-nigh the length of the field in an attempt to strike him, presumably.
Of course, Campbell’s handshake was all positive, ye the intensity bore shades of Harbaugh.
