Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell happy to sacrifice a night's sleep for overtime win over Rams
Dan Campbell didn't get a lot of sleep Sunday night.
It could have been a lot worse.
Not only did his Detroit Lions open the season on Sunday night, they needed overtime to beat the Los Angeles Rams 26-20 in a game that ended shortly before midnight.
"Look, it is hard to sleep after any game, especially when you get home at 1:00 or 2:00 or whatever that was," Campbell said Monday afternoon. "Your mind is racing, thinking about all the different things that went right or wrong, and it is impossible to sleep no matter how tired you are."
Defensive lineman Alim McNeill said he didn't get to sleep until 4 a.m., alternating between watching game film and episodes of "Reba" on Netflix.
"He said he was doing what?" Campbell asked with a laugh. "I remember what it was like as a player, so I understand what Mac is talking about. You're going through every play over again."
The Lions didn't play like a Super Bowl contender for much of Sunday night. They led 17-3 early in the third quarter, but Matthew Stafford led another comeback at Ford Field.
Playing behind an injury decimated offensive line and with key wide receiver Puka Nacua sidelined with a knee injury, Stafford hit Cooper Kupp for a touchdown to put the Rams ahead 20-17 with 4:30 left.
"Stafford, man, it is almost like you don't want to hit him, because I think that's when he plays better," Campbell said. "He just keeps making plays."
The Rams could have iced the game when the Lions went three-and-out, but Stafford just overthrew Kupp on a pass that could have clinched the game. Given one more chance, Jared Goff took advantage of a key Rams penalty to drive the ball deep into Los Angeles territory.
Jake Bates, who made his name this spring playing at Ford Field for the UFL's Michigan Panthers, kicked the tying field goal. Stafford made the wrong call on the overtime coin flip, giving the Lions the ball.
That's when Campbell and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson decided to turn the offense over to David Montgomery. The veteran carried the ball five times for 45 yards, including the winning 1-yard touchdown.
"You could just sense that No. 5 (Montgomery) was ready to take over the game and we were going to be able to break through," Campbell said.
It is hard to give too much credit to Detroit's front seven because of the Rams injuries on the offensive line, but Stafford was under constant pressure, and his running backs only gained 83 yards on 23 carries.
Last season, the Lions got plenty of big plays from Goff finding Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Rams, though, held St. Brown to three catches for 13 yards. Goff only targeted him six times, which will need to improve Sunday against Tampa Bay.
Lions coaches, players and fans have been waiting for Jameson Williams to turn his talent into production, and he showed signs of that on Sunday. He had five catches for 121 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown.
CB Terrion Arnold, the 24th pick in the draft — held in Detroit — struggled in his first regular-season game. He was called for two pass interference penalties in the third quarter, one on the Lions 2 and another in the end zone, helping Stafford with his comeback.
The Lions came out of the game without any significant injuries and hope to get DT D.J. Reader back from a quadriceps injury for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers.
1,018 — the number of yards Matthew Stafford has thrown for in three games against his old team, including six touchdowns and one interception. The Rams won the first game 28-19 in 2021, but the Lions have beaten him in the past two games — 24-23 in January and 26-20 on Sunday.
Get ready for another rematch from January's improbable postseason run — this one against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
