Dan Campbell believes the Detroit Lions are building confidence on defense, but he also made clear that there is still work to do in the run game after the 20-17 win over Green Bay. With Detroit now 4-2 and 1-0 in the NFC North, the result mattered, but the performance left Campbell focused on how much better the Lions can still get.
That is the key point after Monday’s victory. The Lions have started stacking wins, and they will take the divisional edge that comes with it, but Campbell was honest about the areas that still need attention before Sunday’s visit from undefeated Minnesota at Ford Field.
Campbell: the defense is giving the team belief
Campbell said the recent defensive play is helping to build confidence inside the team, and that showed against Green Bay. Detroit held Green Bay below several of its season averages in a game that finished 20-17, which is exactly the kind of result that can matter in a tight division race.
The point is not that everything was perfect. It is that the Lions have found a way to win while the defensive side of the ball looks more stable, and that matters when the schedule starts to tighten.
The run game still has to improve
Even after the win, Campbell was direct about the offense. He said, “We’re investing a lot right now in the run and that’s where we have to be better,” which is a fair assessment given Detroit’s 119 rushing yards and 3.6-yard average per carry.
That is the part of the game that still needs more consistency. Detroit can win this way when other areas hold up, but a team with bigger ambitions in the NFC North cannot rely on narrow margins every week.
Campbell’s comments also underlined the frustration of watching the tape back. “It baffles me sometimes, too,” he said, when reflecting on some of the choices and situations that came out of the game.
The fourth-down call showed Campbell's mindset
One of the biggest talking points from the win was the 4th and 1 decision late in the game. Detroit went for it from its own 22-yard line with 4 minutes and 50 seconds left, a move that ended in a 2-yard loss and left plenty of room for debate.
Campbell defended the call by stressing the context. “With where that was and where the clock was at, look, I know what I’m conceding there,” he said. “I believed we were going to get that. I know what you’re conceding, but I also know without any doubt or any question you are getting the…”
In other words, the decision was not reckless. It was a coach backing his team in a high-leverage moment and trusting that the payoff would outweigh the risk.
That fits the larger picture for Detroit. The Lions are 4-2, they are 1-0 in the division, and they now turn quickly to a Sunday test against Minnesota. If the defense keeps trending in the right direction and the run game sharpens up, this will look like an important early step rather than just another close result.
