Detroit Lions locker room talk after win vs. Vikings

On By Littum

game

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell shared the immortal words Tommy Callahan (Chris Farley) in “Tommy Boy” in his locker room speech Sunday night after the 31-9 division win over the Minnesota Vikings: “It was great.”

Campbell, wearing a “Ready to Roll” NFC North Champions T-shirt in Honolulu Blue, couldn’t contain his excitement about the win and what lies ahead. The Lions locked up the first-round bye and the No. 1 seed in the NFC, which ensured that the path to the Super Bowl goes through Ford Field in Detroit.

“That’s one hell of a win, guys,” Campbell said. “This has been three years in the making. Something like four. It just doesn’t happen like that.

“It was unbelievable, man. Division winners, back-to-back seasons and the No. 1 seed! It was a total team effort.”

Related: What is Sheila Ford Hamp’s Net Worth? What to know about the owner of the Detroit Lions

Campbell then gave three game balls:

  • Jahmir Gibbs: The sophomore running back gained 170 yards from scrimmage and scored all four of the Lions’ touchdowns.
  • Amik Robertson: The cornerback trailed All-Pro Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson, who had his worst game against Detroit since September 2022, the entire game.
  • Alex Anzalone: The linebacker returned from injury to a welcoming crowd and, according to Shawn Windsor, “stitched the middle of the defense together, directed traffic and ran down runners on the boundary.”

How to buy Kings of the North poster

“That’s one hell of a win, man. Back to back,” Campbell said later. “Look, what we’ve done ain’t easy… But I tell you what, man, we’ve been saying it all along, we got a special group, man.

“And this has been a long time coming. It’s a lot of hard work and we’re the No. 1 (expletive) seed. Farewell, gentleman. Good job.”

Follow the Detroit Free Press on Instagram (@detroitfreepress), TikTok (@detroitfreepress), YouTube (@DetroitFreePress), Twitter/X (@freep), and LinkedInand like us on Facebook (@detroitfreepress).

Contact Amy Huschka: [email protected] or follow her on Twitter/X (@aetmanshuschka).

Stay connected and stay informed. Become a subscriber.