Dan Campbell Has Struggled Against These Three Teams Under Dan Campbell, the Detroit Lions have experienced considerable success; however, there have been a few snags. Although the Lions have recently dominated their division, some of their opponents have had their number over the course of Campbell’s four seasons outside of the NFC North.
The 2024 season served as a type of revenge tour for the coach, as he was able to defeat a pair of teams that had previously achieved success against the organization. Under Campbell’s leadership, the Lions have encountered challenges against the following three teams since 2021.
Seattle Seahawks There were numerous reasons why the Lions’ victory over the Seahawks on Monday Night Football last season had to be uplifting. Yes, it was an exhilarating victory over a formidable opponent in primetime. However, it was also the first time in four meetings that Campbell had defeated the Seahawks.
In each of Campbell’s four seasons as head coach, Detroit has faced only one non-divisional opponent: Seattle. The two teams will not face each other in 2025. Seattle had won their first three matches against Campbell prior to last year’s victory.In 2021, the Seahawks dominated the Lions, who were lead by Tim Boyle, as Jared Goff was sidelined. In the subsequent year,
the Lions were defeated 48-45 in an early season shootout at home by Seattle. This game ultimately determined the final playoff position in the NFC, as the Lions failed to qualify on the head-to-head tiebreaker. The 2022 home opener was likely the most devastating defeat, as Seattle emerged victorious in overtime following a touchdown pass from Geno Smith to Tyler Lockett.
Detroit’s revenge was eventually served last season with a commanding victory. Dallas Cowboys The Lions, like the Seahawks, exacted revenge on the Cowboys last season after two difficult losses earlier in Campbell’s tenure. Detroit will host the Cowboys in 2025, following their previous three encounters with Dallas,
which were all conducted on the road. The Lions suffered a 24-6 defeat in 2022, which marked the initial encounter between Campbell and the team for which he had played for three seasons. In that contest, the Lions were in the process of driving down the field, trailing 10-6, when tight end Brock Wright was tackled at the 1-yard line.
The Lions would fumble on the subsequent play, which sparked a sequence of four consecutive turnovers that transformed a close contest into a lopsided defeat. One of the most memorable games of the past several seasons was Detroit’s primetime matchup against Dallas in 2023. This was a contest between the two teams, culminating in a final drive for the Lions. With less than a minute remaining,
Jared Goff completed a touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown, prompting the Lions to elect to attempt two extra points rather than tying the game with only one. Goff struck Taylor Decker during a trick play; however, the conversion was annulled by a penalty due to confusion regarding which lineman was reported as eligible.
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