Lions Coach Dan Campbell Sends Clear Message on Facing Chiefs
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has built the team from the ground up, rebuilding almost the entire roster and turning a bottom-dwelling team into a Super Bowl contender.
Campbell said this week’s opponent, the Kansas City Chiefs, have written the blueprint for what he wants his team to become. The Lions coach outlined the challenge of playing the Chiefs even despite their early-season struggles.
Dan Campbell Calls Chiefs the NFL’s Model of Success
Campbell shared some effusive praise for the Chiefs this week, noting that he has seen firsthand how difficult it is to build a contending team and keep them near the top every season. The Lions have won the NFC North in two straight seasons, but the Chiefs have won their division for nine consecutive years and reached the Super Bowl for three straight seasons.
“To be able to come back year in and year out and stay hungry, stay competitive, do the right things, don’t get complacent, eliminate entitlement when you’ve been a champion over and over, I think that takes a special kind of group, a special kind of coaching staff, special kind of leadership, players, the whole thing,” Campbell said, via The Athletic. “And so, what they’ve done is special. Same (as) all those years New England had with Brady and Belichick.”
Campbell added that he has a lot of respect for Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and what he has built in Kansas City. The Lions coach added that he’s not taking the team lightly despite their struggles through a 2-3 start.
“That is so difficult to do, and so I’ve got the utmost respect for those guys. And that’s why they’re never out of it,” Campbell said. “They’re always going to have a chance because they have that makeup. They have that winner’s makeup, that champion’s makeup.”
Lions quarterback Jared Goff backed his coach’s comments, praising the Chiefs for their ability to stay at the top of the NFL for so long.
“That’s certainly number one is the consistency over time,” Goff said. “I don’t know how many in a row — AFC championships. It’s incredible. And it’s hard to reload every year after playing a long season like that. So I think that’s what you respect most is their ability over almost a decade now to reload every offseason and come back ready to go.”
Lions Face Big Opportunity
The Lions have a chance for a statement game against the Chiefs, just as their win in Kansas City in the 2023 season put them on the map as a Super Bowl contender. The Chiefs have struggled on offense and still have another week before a major piece of their passing attack — wide receiver Rashee Rice — returns from his six-game suspension.
The Lions stumbled out of the gate this season, losing to the Green Bay Packers in the season opener, but have reeled off four straight wins and have returned to the top of the division. A win over the Chiefs could give them even more space.
Stroud Shuts Down Doubters, Declares Confidence Ahead of 2025 Season
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is ready for year three, shutting down the sophomore slump narrative from last year
It could be a year where Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud cuts loose. But the offensive line will be a key to his success or failure. However, Stroud shut down the sophomore slump narrative from last season, according to a YouTube post by Inside Coverage.
“I really try not to harp back on last year,” Stroud said. “I learned my lessons. (And) I don’t know what people expect from me. But that’s a whole different conversation. But I do believe that I am still a great player.”
Stroud threw for 3,727 yards with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions after a rookie year with 4,108 yards, 23 scoring strikes, and only five picks.
Texans QB C.J. Stroud ready to soar
Stroud apparently didn’t lose any confidence last season.
“I do think I’m still a top quarterback in this league,” he said “I’ve put it on tape. I just think things around me haven’t always been the best, just because of injuries. So that hasn’t been easy, but I still believe in myself. I know my team does, my family does, and I think that’s all that really matters.”
Stroud will have to overcome problems with the offensive line. Pro Football Focus ranked the Texans dead last in the NFL.
“The presence of veterans Laremy Tunsil and Shaq Mason prevented an already shaky Texans' offensive line from being even worse in 2024, and the team cut ties with both this offseason,” Zoltán Buday wrote. “Now there is very little to suggest that the group isn't deserving of the No. 32 ranking ahead of the 2025 season.”
Still, there’s a lot of optimism, and Stroud is the main reason. Head coach DeMeco Ryans said the Texans have lofty goals for 2025 after the end of last season. And he didn’t back away from it Wednesday, according to ESPN.
“I think at that moment, I said what I said,” Ryans told ESPN. “But that's how I always feel. Everything that I've always done in life is to be the best. So how can you go to work, and it's like, ‘Oh, I'm OK just giving it a good shot?' I just never understood that.”
Additionally, Stroud said he’s excited about the new offense under new offensive coordinator Nick Caley.
“It's exciting,” Stroud said. “It's very great,” Stroud said of the new offense. [Caley] comes from a different style than I'm used to, at least in the NFL. So, it's cool just to learn something new and put another tool in my toolbox.
“Being able to see things that maybe coaches don't see. Being on the field, I'm able to have a different point of view. I think that'll be helpful for our guys.”
