Dan Campbell Lashes Out After Lions' Humbling 27-13 Loss to Packers
The Detroit Lions kicked off the 2025 season with expectations of building on their 15-2 campaign a year ago. Instead, they walked out of Lambeau Field with more questions than answers after a 27-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Head coach Dan Campbell didn’t sugarcoat the performance when he spoke with the media after the game.
Campbell Owns the Mistakes
“I thought we would be cleaner than we were,” Campbell said postgame. “I thought we would be much cleaner than we were. Our players are accountable… nobody takes it worse than they do. We’ve got some good dudes.”
The Lions stumbled out of the gate, allowing the Packers to march 83 yards on the opening possession for a touchdown. Detroit’s defense never found a way to rattle Jordan Love, who calmly completed 16-of-22 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Lions’ vaunted pass rush finished with zero sacks and only one pass defense (by cornerback Terrion Arnold, who later left with a groin injury).
Offense Falls Flat
On offense, the Lions struggled to capitalize in the red zone, settling for field goals on three of their first four trips. Quarterback Jared Goff was efficient but uninspiring, completing 31-of-39 passes for 224 yards, one touchdown, and a costly interception.
Detroit’s ground game, a strength in 2024, was bottled up completely. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery combined for just 44 yards on 20 carries, averaging 2.2 yards per attempt. Gibbs did manage to lead the team in receptions with 10 catches, but they went for a modest 31 yards.
The lone bright spot came late in the game when rookie Isaac TeSlaa hauled in a spectacular one-handed touchdown catch, preventing Detroit from being shut out of the end zone until the final minute.
Discipline Issues and Missed Opportunities
If the offense’s inefficiency wasn’t frustrating enough, penalties wiped away two potential game-changing plays. Linebacker Alex Anzalone dropped a would-be interception, and one play later, safety Brian Branch had a pick-six negated by a defensive holding call on Rock Ya-Sin. On the same return, Aidan Hutchinson was flagged for unnecessary roughness.
Those miscues summed up the night for Detroit — a team that never seemed comfortable against a Packers squad that looked every bit like an NFC North contender with new addition Micah Parsons wreaking havoc.
Campbell’s Message Moving Forward
Despite the mistakes, Campbell made it clear he still believes in his locker room.
“Our players are accountable,” Campbell emphasized. “Nobody takes it worse than they do. We’ve got some good dudes.”
The Lions will need those “good dudes” to rebound quickly. Their next challenge comes against former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears, who visit Ford Field in Week 2. A bounce-back performance will be crucial to quiet doubters and prevent Detroit from digging an early-season hole.
David Ortiz: From Home Runs to Healing Hearts – The Big Papi Legacy
David Ortiz will always be remembered in Boston as the man who delivered when it mattered most. His clutch home runs helped break the curse, his smile lit up Fenway Park, and his larger-than-life personality made him the face of an era. Yet for all the moments Big Papi created on the field, his greatest legacy may live far away from the batter’s box.
Through the David Ortiz Children’s Fund, the Red Sox legend has spent years quietly changing lives. The foundation provides funding for life-saving heart surgeries for children in both the United States and his native Dominican Republic. Thousands of families who once faced impossible choices have instead found hope because Ortiz decided that his reach should extend well beyond baseball.
The most powerful story came not in a stadium but in a hospital corridor. Ortiz flew back to the Dominican Republic to meet a young child waiting for surgery. Before doctors wheeled the child into the operating room, Ortiz held the small hand and whispered words that spread across social media: “I once saved the Red Sox with a home run. Today I want to save your heart.” It was more than a comforting line. It was a reminder that heroes are defined by humanity, not only highlights.
Ortiz’s presence in those moments is as significant as any walk-off homer. His ability to turn fame into tangible impact has made him more than just a baseball icon. It has made him a figure of hope. Hospitals across New England and the Dominican Republic still celebrate his contributions, with families referring to him as “a giant with a giant heart.”
In many ways, Ortiz embodies the best version of what athletes can be. He achieved greatness in his sport but refused to let it stop there. He used his platform to shine a light on those who otherwise would have gone unseen, to lift up families who otherwise might have been forgotten.
Fenway Park will always echo with his heroics, but for every fan who cheered a home run, there is a child alive today because Ortiz believed in something bigger than baseball. That duality — the slugger and the savior — is what cements his legacy as one of the most beloved figures in Red Sox history.
When people talk about Big Papi, they will mention the 2004 ALCS, the clutch swings, and the championships. But they should also remember the quiet words he once spoke to a child on the edge of surgery. Those words, and the lives saved through his foundation, are the true measure of David Ortiz.
