Dan Campbell Puts the NFL on Notice After Lions Bye Week
The Detroit Lions have begun the 2025 NFL season with a 5-2 record. They have won five of their last six games, and in the game they lost, the Lions dealt with multiple injuries in the secondary on the road against Patrick Mahomes.
But Dan Campbell’s message in his opening statement during his press conference after the team’s bye week was rather simply — the Lions can be even better.
“I really believe we haven’t played our best ball yet, collectively, in all three phases, and that’s really what we’re trying to get to here is how we can sharpen ourselves,” Campbell told reporters. “We know it’s going to take every phase.
“Every game is different and one unit may have to pick up the slack, but we have to play complete ball across the board.”
Campbell stressed the team has to keep getting better to keep up with the other teams in the race. One of those teams is the Minnesota Vikings, who the Lions will face on November 2 in Week 9.
Dan Campbell Continues to Stress Complimentary Football
Detroit’s success over the past few years has largely been behind an elite offense. But to begin the 2025 season, Campbell seems to have gone out of his way to stress all three phases.
The Lions have responded. They are ranked eighth in total offense and overall defense. The Lions are also third in points scored and 11th in points allowed.
On special teams, Kalif Raymond has returned a punt for a touchdown. Kicker Jake Bates has made all of his attempts inside of 50 yards.
But as is typical during NFL bye weeks, Campbell and his coaching staff conducted self-scouting. With that, the Lions have found new things to correct.
“I really believe you tighten a screw here, you tighten a belt and all of a sudden this thing is running like a well-oiled machine,” Campbell said. “So, just a couple of things, that’s all.
“So, easily correctable things that we can do better. And I’m talking about coaches and players, myself, all of us.”
Lions to Host Minnesota Vikings Following Bye Week
Campbell mentioned the Vikings right after talking about teams that are in the race with the Lions. But on November 2, the Lions will have the opportunity to put a lot of distant between themselves and the Vikings.
Minnesota has lost two straight and sits in last place of the NFC North. With a win, the Lions would move three games in front of the Vikings, who finished second in the division last year.
The Green Bay Packers lead the NFC North and have already defeated the Lions. But the Lions trail by only half a game, and the two teams will meet for a rematch on Thanksgiving in Detroit.
After hosting the Vikings, the Lions will go on the road for consecutive matchups in the NFC East. First, Detroit will visit the Washington Commanders and then the Philadelphia Eagles. Those two squads were the final two teams standing in the NFC last year.
Washington upset the Lions in the NFC divisional round last January.
The Lions will have a third straight NFC East matchup against the New York Giants before then facing the Packers on Thanksgiving.
Commanders QB Marcus Mariota Sends Heartfelt Message After Win
The Washington Commanders came into Week 3 with star quarterback Jayden Daniels officially ruled out against the Las Vegas Raiders due to a knee injury, which shed doubt on whether the up-and-coming squad could get a second win on the season without their undisputed leader under center.
Veteran journeyman Marcus Mariota, who once played for the Raiders, was tasked with picking up the slack with Daniels on the mend.
Fortunately for Washington, Mariota played well on Sunday, leading the team to its second win of the season, bouncing back from Week 2’s disappointing loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Marcus Mariota Steps Up for Injured Jayden Daniels
Mariota got the job done against his former team with his arm and his legs, as he completed 15 of his 21 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown to Luke McCaffrey, brother of San Francisco 49ers superstar Christian McCaffrey. He also racked up 40 rushing yards and a touchdown on six carries.
After securing the win against the Raiders, Mariota spoke to the media and talked about starting his first game in three years.
Enjoyed this answer from Marcus Mariota to @JPFinlayNBCS
— NBC4 Sports (@NBC4Sports) September 21, 2025on the opportunity and the game today
Says he took a couple of moments after the game to think about being grateful...
"I think I'm here for a reason"#RaiseHail#Commanders pic.twitter.com/NBm4PuhUAn
“I just have fun, man,” Mariota said of starting Week 3. “I really just had to take a couple of moments, even after the game. I’m just grateful to play the game. I love it! I love this team. I love being out there. It’s been such an interesting journey for me, and I would never trade it for anything in the world.
“I think I’m here for a reason. I believe in it. God placed me here to be a part of this. Whether that’s going to be something that’s long-term or something that just keeps going, I have no idea, but right now I’m just focused on enjoying this in the present moment and whatever my role is for this team because I think we have a special group of guys.”
Mariota definitely seems to have the right mindset for this stage of his NFL career, which should make the Commanders brass and his teammates happy moving forward. Washington may be able to count on their backup for a little while longer if needed.
Commanders Embark on Crucial Five-Game Stretch
GettyMarcus Mariota #8, Chris Moore #19 and Chris Rodriguez Jr. #36 of the Washington Commanders celebrate after a rushing touchdown during the first quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Northwest Stadium on September 21, 2025 in Landover, Maryland.
With the Commanders winning two of their first three games, the team will have a tough stretch of games ahead, as they’ll play four of the next five games on the road. They take on the Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers, Chicago Bears (home game), Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs during that stretch.
The real question moving forward with this challenging string of games on the road is what Daniels’ playing status is moving forward. Obviously, Mariota showed that he’s capable of shouldering the load under center. Still, the competition does ramp up, with the Chargers and Chiefs more than likely being the toughest teams during this five-game slate.
Mariota seems to be up for the challenge, but the Commanders will hope that Daniels bounces back from his knee injury sooner rather than later to be a force to be reckoned with this season.
