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eric woodyard
DETROIT — Even coach Dan Campbell can admit that after detroit lions, 31-24 thanksgiving day loss green Bay Packers “We’ve dug ourselves a little hole” at 7-5.
Campbell was honest in his overall assessment of the group as he addressed the team inside the locker room at Ford Field as their chances of winning the NFC North for the third consecutive season now appeared to be slim.
“As I told the team, ‘It’s disappointing, I know. We still have a lot to be grateful for after the loss.’ And look, we’ve dug ourselves a little hole, that’s the bottom line,” Campbell said. “We’re in a little hole, but that’s what it is. Nothing more than that.
“So we just have to worry about cleaning it up and then going into the next game and finding a way to win the next game that comes our way.”
Detroit is now 1-8 in its last nine games on Thanksgiving.
Entering the competition, the Lions were also struggling with a string of injuries Sam Laporta And brock wright Other than wide receiver kalif raymond and starting point graham glasgow On crime. Then All-Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown left the game in the first quarter due to an ankle injury and did not return.
Think about Campbell St. Brown may miss a week or two,
St. Brown without practice squad veteran tom kennedy Stepped up to play offense and on special teams. Kennedy, who was signed from the practice squad to the Lions’ active roster Wednesday night, had four catches for 36 yards.
Cheater isaac tesla He had his third receiving touchdown this season (and fifth reception overall) on a 17-yard grab from the QB Jared Goff With 7:25 left in the third quarter the Lions’ deficit was 24–21.
Tesla, a native of Hudsonville, Michigan, has been a lifelong Lions fan and is currently in his rookie season as a wide receiver out of Arkansas.
However, it was the fourth-year receiver jameson williams Who led the Lions’ offense with a career-high seven receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown.
Goff was determined to target Williams and knew he would have a big day, especially since he was short-staffed. But he wasn’t proud of his incomplete short pass to Williams on fourth-and-3 with 10:55 left in the fourth quarter when the Lions were trying to close the gap to 31–21.
“I’ve got to connect with Jamo down in the red zone,” said Goff, who completed 20 of 26 passes with two touchdowns. “I’ve got to give him a better throw, and he’ll make the catch. He could score right there, and the drive could be over. That’s what’s going to hurt me for a while. Then, yeah, they can rip it apart on their fourth down and tip your hat. I thought they played really well.”
According to ESPN Research, Detroit failed twice on fourth down conversions against the Packers and is now 0-for-7 on fourth down since Week 11, which is tied for the most attempts in the league, and the most attempts ever without a conversion (the Jets are next closest at 0-3).
Campbell took over playcalling duties from offensive coordinator John Morton in Week 10 and feels he “can always get better” in that role.
Detroit entered the Thanksgiving Day game averaging 29.6 points per game, but has now lost four of its last seven games for the first time since the 2022 season.
“At the end of the day, look, we didn’t win the game. But as far as how I wanted to play that game offensively, I had the same approach to it,” Campbell said. “We just have to convert.
“What we had the first two series, we have to find a way to turn that into the third [down] And then the fourth fall. So you’re talking about two or three games, ultimately, against a good team, in the moment that made the difference.”
