Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell guided his team to a second straight NFC North division title with a win over the Minnesota Vikings in the season finale, but believes the two teams will meet again very soon.
The Lions and Vikings both entered the game at 14-2, with the winner taking the division while the loser would head to the opening round of the playoffs as the first 14-win wild card in NFL history.
The Lions took control of Sunday’s game after a slow first half, beating the Vikings 31-9. After the game, Campell delivered something of a prediction to Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell.
Dan Campbell Ready to Meet Rivals Again
As Campbell and O’Connell met on the field following the game to shake hands, the Lions head coach assured his counterpart that it would be the last time the teams meet this season.
“I’ll see you in two weeks,” Campbell told O’Connell .
The Lions dominated the second half against the Vikings, with running back Jahmyr Gibbs scoring a franchise record-tying four touchdowns and racking up 170 total yards from scrimmage. Detroit’s aggressive defense also hounded MVP candidate Sam Darnold, holding him below 50% passing and hitting him 10 times, with two total sacks.
The Vikings will need to take care of business in order to earn the rematch with the Lions. The Vikings will have an eight-day rest before going on the road to face the Los Angeles Rams on Monday, Jan. 13.
The Lions earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC for the first time in franchise history, getting a week off to rest before hosting the lowest-remaining seed.
Dan Campbell Built Winner in Detroit
As WXYZ reporter Brad Galli noted, an emotional Campbell seemed relieved when addressing reporters after the game. Wearing a division title hat and t-shirt, Campbell said this accomplishment was close to three years in the making.
“Dan Campbell let out a big exhale entering his postgame press conference,” Galli shared in a post on X. “He said the Lions 15-2 season, division title, and No. 1 seed happened because of the four years of tests they’ve endured”
When Campbell took over as head coach of the Lions in 2021, he inherited a program near the bottom of the NFC. The team traded franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford just after Campbell was hired, and the Lions coach turned Rams castoff Jared Goff into one of the league’s top quarterbacks while turning around the program.
The Lions won three games in the first season under Campbell and improved steadily after that. The Lions won nine games in 2022, narrowly missing the playoffs, then won the division with a 12-5 season last year. This Lions finished this season 15-2, tied with the Kansas City Chiefs for the best record in the NFL.
Campbell said this offseason that the team’s only goal was to win a Super Bowl, and the Lions will now have the inside track to do it. They will hold home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and a full week to rest and recover from injuries before taking the field again.
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