4 months ago
CHICAGO -- The Detroit Lions ended their play by beating nan Chicago Bears, 19-16, successful walk-off manner successful Week 18.
Detroit ends nan play pinch a winning grounds (9-8) for nan 4th consecutive year. It’s nan first clip nan Lions person accomplished a agelong for illustration that successful much than 50 years. It was an ugly, frustrating thrust to this point, and it will beryllium moreover harder watching nan playoffs from home.
Here are immoderate notable quotes from nan Lions and Bears players and coaches:
Lions HC Dan Campbell, connected what he learned astir his squad successful nan finale: “No, I deliberation it reaffirmed. You know, we’ll cognize immoderate things conscionable watching nan portion astir really immoderate of these guys, peculiarly immoderate of nan young guys. But nan guys that I knew we could count connected showed up again, you know, 1 much time, which didn’t astonishment maine 1 bit. You know, I still judge nan nucleus of this squad is right. I really do. But we are going to request to make a fewer changes. Not conscionable talking astir that. It will beryllium collectively. We’re going to person to activity done immoderate things to get nan champion type of ourselves.”
Dan Campbell, if each nan acquainted faces connected Chicago’s sideline was motivating: “Honestly, I’ve been truthful immoderate pinch what happened past week and conscionable trying to get prepared for this one. You know, get our guys fresh to go. I don’t know. You would person to inquire them. But listen, I wish them well. A batch of group that I deliberation a batch of complete location betwixt evidently Ben (Johnson) and nan guys that were pinch us, (Bears quarterbacks coach) J.T. (Barrett), but half that unit is from New Orleans. I cognize those guys. I coached pinch them successful New Orleans. I wish them nan champion of luck. I respect nan hellhole retired of them. They’re bully coaches, bully men.”
Lions K Jake Bates, connected nan thought they had thing to play for: “I deliberation first off, location is ne'er thing to play for -- We get an astonishing opportunity to play successful nan NFL. There’s ever thing to play for. And I think, you know, erstwhile you person a caput coach for illustration coach Campbell, man, you’re going to springiness everything you sewage immoderate chance you get. I cognize nan locker room feels that way. Everybody successful present would tally done a ceramic wall for him. I’m really gladsome to beryllium capable to beryllium a part, a mini portion of this triumph and hopefully caput into nan adjacent twelvemonth connected a precocious note.”
Lions LT Taylor Decker, on his thoughts arsenic he considers retirement: “It’s weird. I told my woman this astir a week and a half ago. You cognize really for illustration there’s for illustration fantasy, for illustration medieval shows. There’s for illustration that aged warrior and he conscionable wants to dice successful battle. I consciousness for illustration that’s really I feel. But I can’t, I can’t do that because it’s not conscionable me. It doesn’t conscionable impact me, hypothetically speaking. And that makes it harder. That makes it truthful overmuch harder because it’s. I cognize I tin still -- I cognize I tin still play. But what is that going to do to nan early of my family, successful my future.”
Lions LB Jack Campbell, connected his thoughts connected nan play ending: “I consciousness for illustration that’ll astir apt deed me. But you cognize what? Everything happens for a reason. Never fto this hap again. Just proceed to speak myself individually. I’m really excited. We sewage a bully group of guys. I conscionable can’t convey each of them enough, particularly nan vets that we conscionable brought successful for for illustration one-year deals. Those guys were nan champion and I’m ace appreciative of them and their contented and everything they shared pinch me.”
Jack Campbell, connected if finishing pinch a winning grounds matters to him: “I conjecture I wanted to win, but nan attack was to spell location and play arsenic difficult arsenic I could for 60 minutes conscionable retired of respect to nan crippled and to nan guys successful nan locker room. That is my full focus. And if I could locomotion distant from nan game, win, suffer aliases draw, and I did that, I’d beryllium happy pinch it. And we did that and we won. So that’s a cherry connected top. And now we conscionable sewage to unluckily hold till adjacent year.”
Bears HC Ben Johnson, connected his connection to nan squad aft getting swept by Detroit: “That we’re quickly turning nan page here. Everyone is disappointed. I appreciate, for illustration I said, their effort. Some teams, they remainder their starters. We don’t. We play football. We felt for illustration it was really important that we were playing our champion shot present today, and we didn’t get that occupation done. We’re quickly turning that page, and now we’ve sewage a location crippled coming connected up, and there’s a measurement to triumph this game, this adjacent game, and that’s what we’re going to beryllium solely focused on.”
Bears QB Caleb Williams, connected really aggravating this nonaccomplishment was: “It’s aggravating. It’s frustrating. The bully point astir it is we’re going into nan playoffs here, and we’ve sewage to find ways to get better. The attraction has to level up. The urgency has to level up. The play has to level up. The mindset, mentality connected nan section has to level up because that’s what playoff shot is.”
Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, connected finishing nan twelvemonth pinch a win: "Yeah, conscionable being nan guys successful locker, man, nan guys that we have, I consciousness like, you know, we’re so, you cognize -- what Dan Campbell preaches to america each and each week. The grit, nan conflict for 1 another. Yeah, this is not nan twelvemonth we wanted, nary of america connected this team, but conscionable 1 much clip to spell retired and do what we love. I mean, astatine nan extremity of nan day, we play a kids’ game, and you know, anyone would emotion to beryllium successful nan position that we are successful to spell play retired present connected Sundays and play shot portion beforehand of everyone. So we conscionable want to spell retired and do it 1 much time."
Lions QB Jared Goff, connected getting nan roadworthy triumph to threat three-game losing streak: “Week felt good. Felt bully to decorativeness it that measurement and thought we played good successful each phases. I thought we near immoderate points retired location offensively surely successful nan reddish zone, but defense played really good and gave america a mates much chances there. Yeah, made it happen.”
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