DETROIT — Talk about a tale of two halves.
That saying gets used a lot in the football world. But it’s hard to find another way to explain the Thanksgiving game between the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears.
Here is a collection of quotes from the Detroit Lions players and coaches, via the team’s social media channel, following their 23-20 win over the Chicago Bears at Ford Field.
Dan Campbell
On the emotions of winning a close game:
“Look, I told the team, that’s what I said. You know, if you’re not careful, you start grading your own wins, and it’s good because you have these standards—the way you think you should play, by your own standards, by what you have. Has nothing to do with the opponent, it’s just you know yourselves, and you know what you’re capable of. And so, if you’re not careful, you start going too far down that thing. Then you start taking wins for granted. Ultimately, that’s a good win against an opponent that has fought every week, and this was the third game in a row, division game, that those guys have brought it over there. So we did what we had to do to win. We’ll clean up the other stuff that cost us some points. I’m not worried about that. But I will take this “W” and I’m not going to lose sleep over it.”
Jared Goff
On players stepping up on defense despite injuries:
“Yeah, it’s fun to see that. Obviously, Za’Darius (Smith) is a new addition to our team, but (Al-Quadin) Muhammad’s been doing a good job since he got here – on defense, on scout team making it hard on us, then obviously in the games now, he’s doing a great job. It’s fun to see guys step up, it’s never fun to see guys get hurt or get injured or have to leave the game – but when guys are able to step up and make those plays and make a name for themselves on national television, it’s fun.”
David Montgomery
On beating his former team:
“It’s always good being able to get a win on somebody that didn’t think I was good enough. I love, I appreciate Chicago for taking a chance on me, for giving me a shot and an opportunity. I was happy to get that win.”
On being introduced with Jahmyr Gibbs during pregame introductions:
“It’s super cool. I’ve never experienced nothing like it. Jahmyr’s my little brother, I’m super blessed to have him in my life as a football player, but as a human for me too. So being able to share that moment and that experience with him, and kind of how the Sonic and Knuckles thing is going, it’s pretty dope to be a part of.”
Jahmyr Gibbs
On breaking the Thanksgiving losing streak and it’s importance:
“Yeah, definitely. What was it, eight years? Seven. It was a long time. It was about time it’d get broke.”
What the 11-1 start says about the team:
“That we can go really far and we’ve just got to stay on the details, stay hungry, don’t get complacent and keep going.”
Jameson Williams
On the team getting its 10th straight win:
“It’s big. We’re rolling. We’re rolling, we’re moving real well. I think that’s the main part. We’ve got a couple things to fix up for this win, even though it’s a win we’ve got a couple things to fix. We’re gonna fix those and we’re gonna be better. Just keep getting better and better and better every week.”
Frank Ragnow
On how the team was able to win on a short week:
“I think we just have a good culture, good group of guys, good coaching staff and we find ways to win. Whether it’s ugly, close, blowout, we find ways to win. And that’s what a good team does.”
Penei Sewell
On if he feels more pressure when the Lions call a play for him:
“No, it’s really so fun. Every time I get a play, whether it’s like this or just out in front blocking, I just have fun with it. Those opportunities don’t come a lot and the trust that Ben (Johnson) and the whole offense has in me, I love it. I love when it’s on my shoulders and it’s fun.”
On what he learned from the Lions running ‘Mighty Duck,’ a play designed for him to throw a pass:
“I found out just how much energy the ball carriers use when they have the ball. After that play, I was really exhausted. I think the ball won’t touch my hands for a while.”
MORE: Penei Sewell Destroying Bears Defender Becomes Classic Meme
Za’Darius Smith
On the team’s mentality:
“Get extra work in after practice, you don’t get that everywhere you go with the young guys. So everybody’s keying in, buying in and I’m so excited about it. Obviously we’ve got coaches that played in the league, so man, everybody wants to know what it takes to win. As you can see, we’re 11-1 today.”
On his 1.5 sack performance:
“I missed him twice, I don’t know if y’all saw that or not. I missed him and then I told myself if I get another opportunity, I’m not gonna miss him this time. So I was able to come up with how many? 1.5, that’s something. I was still able to come back and make those tackles. So I learned from my mistakes early from that game.”
Al-Quadin Muhammad
On his performance Thursday:
“It feels great, but it don’t mean nothing if when that opportunity comes, you don’t step up to the challenge. I was looking forward to the opportunity, and I went out and took advantage of it.”
On Za’Darius Smith’s performance despite being banged up:
“It’s football. Sometimes you get banged up, but that’s what we (traded for) him for. Just keep playing and stay relentless and shake it off. That’s the great thing about football.”
DETROIT, MI — One motorist died and a second motorist remains in critical condition after a Jeep SUV driving north on a southbound lane collided with another vehicle early Friday, Nov. 29, state police reported.
State police on X, formerly known as Twitter, reported the crash happened between the Jeep and a second SUV on southbound Lodge (M-10) near Grand River after 4:30 a.m.
“When troopers arrived on scene they found the reported wrong way jeep and a second SUV with heavy front end damage from the head on crash,” the state police report read. “The non at fault SUV caught fire and quickly became fully engulfed. Troopers attempted to get into the vehicle but were unsuccessful.”
Troopers, though, were able to pull out the 27-year-old woman who was driving the Jeep, the report stated. She was transported to a local hospital, where she was listed in critical condition this morning.
Detroit Fire Department crews later extinguished the fire engulfing the other SUV, the state police report stated. One person was located inside the vehicle and was pronounced dead on the scene.
“Currently, we have not been able to identify the person killed in the crash,” First Lt. Mike Shaw, of the state police, said in a statement. “The crash reconstructionist is on scene investigating the crash. We are attempting to determine where the wrong way driver entered the roadway and where she was coming from.”
DETROIT — Talk about a tale of two halves.
That saying gets used a lot in the football world. But it’s hard to find another way to explain the Thanksgiving game between the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears.
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Matt Eberflus couldn’t possibly top the series of brutal coaching decisions that led to defeats like the ones the Chicago Bears suffered over the past five weeks. It was the Hail Mary in Washington, the blocked field goal against Green Bay, and the overtime collapse against Minnesota. Yet somehow, Eberflus did it anyway. This time it was allowing the clock to expire despite only being five yards outside field goal range and having a timeout left in his pocket. It was the most baffling clock mismanagement many had ever seen, and once again squandered a spirited 4th quarter comeback by Caleb Williams. It wasn’t hard to hear what fans and media thought of the blunder. So what about GM Ryan Poles and team president Kevin Warren?
A source told SM that the two executives “stormed” out of their luxury box after what happened in the final seconds. They wasted no time getting down to the locker room. Adam Jahns of The Athletic added further details. It appears the two men did some things they don’t normally do after games. Warren spoke with Ted Crews, the man in charge of the Bears’ communications department. Poles had private words with Williams.
Maybe Warren has already decided what comes next for the franchise, along with general manager Ryan Poles.
After the Bears’ 23-20 loss against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving, it could be time for Warren to convince McCaskey to break his longstanding preference of not firing a head coach during the season. Maybe that meeting comes Friday back at Halas Hall.
Inside Ford Field, Warren lingered in the Bears locker room longer than he typically has this season. He talked at length to special adviser Ted Crews, who came from the Kansas City Chiefs, and he briefly met with some players. Poles also put his arm around quarterback Caleb Williams for a few private words before exiting the locker room.
A Bears head coach has never been fired midseason in franchise history. The McCaskey family has steadfastly refused to entertain the idea since they took over in 1983. There have been ample opportunities to do so like with Dave Wannstedt in 1998, Dick Jauron in 2003, and Marc Trestman in 2014. For whatever reason, they’ve been reluctant to pull the trigger. This incident, which has turned their organization into a national punchline, provides all the incentive they could ever need to finally do it.
It is clear players are fed up. Several key members of the locker room stated their disbelief at the clock management to end the game. If this were one incident, nobody would think too much about it. It wasn’t. This is merely the latest of several over the past two months. Winning games is hard enough in the NFL. The last thing players need is a head coach actively sabotaging their efforts with his horrendous situational decision-making. Ryan Poles has always been a practical man. If anybody would be willing to do the right thing, it’s him.
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