The Detroit Lions faced a gut-wrenching 20-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that left fans and players alike reeling. Despite entering Week 2 as a 7.5-point favorite, according to ESPN BET, and showing notable improvements across various areas, it was a critical error that sealed their fate. Head Coach Dan Campbell, known for his fierce passion and emotional transparency, took full responsibility for the loss, particularly spotlighting a costly clock management blunder that happened right before halftime.
During the postgame address, Campbell fought back tears and insisted, "I totally screwed my team." The mistake he mentioned involved a too-many-men penalty that cost them three crucial points that could have shifted the game's outcome. The Lions were deep in Buccaneers’ territory, on their 8-yard line, with only about eleven seconds left on the clock. According to Jeremy Reisman from Pride of Detroit, Jared Goff found Amon-Ra St. Brown, getting the ball down to the eight-yard line. What followed was chaotic confusion as the field goal unit rushed onto the field while the offense scrambled to line up for a spike. The result: a too-many-men penalty and a ten-second runoff that ended the half.
Eric Woodyard of ESPN echoed Campbell’s sentiments, capturing his sense of accountability. "There’s no way to justify this. It’s a massive error on my part," Campbell said. Detroit’s offense managed only one touchdown in seven red-zone trips, a statistic that screams inefficiency. Campbell’s miscue, however, stood out as the pivotal moment where the game slipped away.
Despite the blunder, the Lions tried to make a comeback, finding themselves in field goal range multiple times late in the game. However, those three lost points loomed large, transforming what could have been a game-winning field goal into a desperate need for a touchdown. As noted in Sporting News, Campbell reiterated at both halftime and postgame that the loss was "100 percent on me. … It's not OK." He also mentioned asking for improvement from the previous week, which the team delivered. However, this improvement was overshadowed by the mistake that fell squarely on Campbell's shoulders.
Players like All-Pro offensive tackle Penei Sewell appreciated Campbell’s willingness to take the blame. Sewell told ESPN, "I know that he said that but this is a team sport, team effort, so everyone has a role that plays into this loss. So definitely hard to swallow but we have to be able to bounce back and be better for the next games." Jared Goff, who threw for 307 yards but also had two interceptions, remained optimistic. Goff noted, "They’re a good team, we’re a good team, it’s early in the season… it'll be definitely a learning experience for sure for us to look at and go, 'OK, what went wrong and how can we fix it?'"
As Lions fans nurse their wounds, it’s clear that the team has areas of improvement but also a coach who isn't afraid to wear the weight of failure. As Detroit Football Network reported, Campbell is set on reviewing the tape to correct these mistakes. The path forward for the Detroit Lions will be fraught with challenges, but Campbell’s transparency and commitment to ownership might just be the guiding light they need to turn things around.
What other sites are saying about this topic
Dan Campbell fights back tears as he takes blame for Lions Week 2 loss from Sporting News
Locker room buzz: Campbell shoulders loss, Reader feels good, LaPorta's time coming and Bucs marvel about Hutchinson from Justin Rogers, Detroit Football Network
Dan Campbell says he ‘totally screwed my team’ in Lions’ loss to Bucs from Jeremy Reisman, Pride Of Detroit
Campbell: Costly clock gaffe, loss to Bucs 'on me' from Eric Woodyard, ESPN