The Detroit Lions opened the season with a dud against the Green Bay Packers, and head coach Dan Campbell didn’t sugarcoat it. His team looked out of sync in all three phases, and yet, Campbell carried a message of calm in the locker room. He admitted it stung to stumble right out of the gate, but he also made clear he wasn’t pushing the panic button, via Eric Woodyard of ESPN on X, formerly Twitter.
“Like I told the team, it’s tough to go in and not certainly play close to your best game and you hate to start the season off with a loss,” Campbell said after the defeat. “But as bad as that is, it’s not what it appears to be.”
That last line stood out. For a team hyped as NFC contenders, it would be easy to spiral after an ugly opener against a rival. The Lions were sloppy on offense and inconsistent on defense. Jared Goff never found rhythm, and the run game offered little relief. The Packers turned mistakes into points, and the game felt done before Detroit had a chance to fight back.
Still, Campbell’s mindset is clear. This loss doesn’t define his team. He didn’t dismiss the frustration of an opening-week letdown, but he wants his players to understand the bigger picture. One loss in early September is not a death sentence for a group built to compete into January.
The message also fits Campbell’s style. He has always leaned into resilience and energy, a coach who rides the highs and lows without letting them consume the team. If he believes this game isn’t as bad as it looked, he’s likely searching for positives behind the sloppy execution. Coaches often say film study tells the real story, and Campbell seems to believe correction is more important than panic.
For Detroit’s players, that kind of reinforcement matters after a rough night. Veterans like Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown will need to reset quickly, while young stars on defense must shake off early mistakes. The NFC North race is a marathon, not a sprint, and Campbell is reminding everyone of that.
The Lions will have to respond fast, though. Fans expected this season to start with a statement, not a stumble. Campbell’s optimism may be exactly what the locker room needs, but execution has to follow.
