Dan Campbell, the coach of the Detroit Lions, claims he has gotten over the controversial call at Dallas that resulted in a loss and cost the team a chance to finish as the NFC’s top seed.
DETROIT (AP) — Since he was appointed head coach of the Detroit Lions over three years ago, Dan Campbell has made no secret of his enthusiasm, memorably declaring during his first press conference that his teams will bite opponents’ kneecaps and kick them in the mouth.
After victories and setbacks, Campbell has cried and screamed with happiness.
Furthermore, he has never seemed or sounded more energized than he did on Monday.
“I’m prepared to go, and I have controlled fury,” Campbell declared.
About three-quarters of an hour after a contentious call in Dallas resulted in a defeat that eliminated the team’s chance to secure the top NFC seed, Campbell maintained that he had moved on and that the players would follow suit as they got ready for the regular-season finale.
Right now, Campbell declared, “I’m running on pure octane.” “I became conscious. We are going to proceed now that I’m ready.
At his weekly press conference, Campbell had no intention of looking back.
During his two-minute, ten-second opening remarks, he omitted any mention of offensive tackle Taylor Decker’s stopped 2-point conversion against the Cowboys.
Because offensive lineman Dan Skipper checked in as eligible when he and offensive lineman Penei Sewell contacted referee Brad Allen prior to the crucial play, officials concluded that Decker was an ineligible receiver.
In Dallas, Decker informed reporters that he had reported as qualified, but Skipper claimed not to have spoken to the officials at all.
Campbell said he was unsure if Skipper had removed the numbers off his jersey, which would have confused officials into believing he was reporting as eligible.
Following a series of inquiries concerning the penalty, the normally gregarious and helpful coach became unusually irritated by the press.
He questioned, “Why do you guys want to talk about this?”
The NFL has not responded to the team’s inquiries over the call, according to Campbell, who also mentioned that team president Rod Wood is in charge of the league’s correspondence.
“I’m over it until you guys ask me the questions,” Campbell declared. “I’m not even interested in handling it. Rod is managing everything, dude. I don’t even want to deal with it, yet he has it. I’m through. I’m doing fine. All I want to do is leave so that our players are prepared for Minnesota and can start playing.
The NFL has not commented on the call, and Wood was not available to reporters on Monday.
The NFC North champion Lions (11-5) have less to lose when they host the division rival Minnesota Vikings (7-9) on Sunday because of the one-point loss they suffered at Dallas. However, Campbell affirmed that he does not intend to bench injured players for the postseason.
“At this time, that is the plan.”
With a victory, Detroit can raise its postseason ranking. Right now, the Lions are ranked third in the NFC.
Sam LaPorta, the rookie tight end, is “good,” according to Campbell, and Jameson Williams, the receiver, departed the game against the Cowboys due to an ankle injury that was not considered serious.
Along with defensive tackle Alim McNeill, who has been sidelined for a month due to a knee injury, he is optimistic that defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who suffered a torn pectoral muscle in the season-opening victory against Kansas City, will play against the Vikings.
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