Lions coach Dan Campbell grades himself harshly after missing playoffs: 'Freaking F'

Dan Campbell is going to support it blunt with his Detroit Lions — bully oregon bad.

This twelvemonth didn’t crook retired however galore believed it would for the Lions, and Campbell was asked during his end-of-season property league however helium would people the 2025 campaign.

For a squad that was a Super Bowl favourite retired of the NFC successful the preseason, Campbell called it similar it is for his team.

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Detroit Lions caput manager Dan Campbell addresses the media aft an NFL shot crippled against the Green Bay Packers, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024 successful Detroit.  (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

"Not bully enough. We didn’t get in, we underachieved," helium said, per Yahoo Sports. "So, not good. I’d springiness myself a freaking F."

The Lions were capable to marque it implicit .500, winning their Week 18 matchup against the Chicago Bears, 19-16. But Campbell has ever been a pugnacious aforesaid professional arsenic overmuch arsenic helium is with his squad, truthful it’s not shocking to perceive him people himself truthful harshly.

But Campbell knows that this is the archetypal clip since 2022 that the Lions person missed the playoffs, and a 9-8 play isn’t the modular present for the franchise.

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The Lions person had a dilatory physique to 1 of the much formidable teams successful the league, having gone 15-2 past twelvemonth to gain the No. 1 effect successful the NFC. They surely fell abbreviated of expectations, though, being upset by rookie Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders astatine Ford Field successful the Divisional Round.

Two years prior, the Lions made the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers aft going 12-5. They would’ve made it to the team’s first-ever Super Bowl, too, if it wasn’t for a second-half illness successful the Bay Area that saw a miraculous 49ers comeback to gain a spot successful the Big Game.

Campbell saw flux this past offseason connected his coaching staff, with some of his apical coordinators uncovering caput manager jobs elsewhere.

Detroit Lions caput manager Dan Campbell looks connected successful the 2nd fractional against the Arizona Cardinals astatine State Farm Stadium successful Sept. 22, 2024 successful Glendale, Arizona. (Matt Kartozian/Imagn Images)

The large 1 was Ben Johnson, the violative whiz who unlocked Jared Goff and company, taking the Bears occupation successful the NFC North. Johnson went from a beardown state to a bitter rival, and Chicago went connected to triumph the part rubric successful his archetypal year.

Aaron Glenn, the Lions’ antiaircraft coordinator nether Campbell, didn’t person the aforesaid luck arsenic Johnson, arsenic his New York Jets went 3-14. Glenn, though, wasn’t among those axed during "Black Monday," arsenic the Jets stay committed to him astatine slightest to commencement the 2026 season.

Campbell inactive can’t judge what happened aft specified a blistery commencement to this season. The Lions went 4-1 to statesman the year, but failed to find consistency aft that.

A shocking Christmas Day nonaccomplishment to the Minnesota Vikings successful Week 17 ended their playoffs hopes.

"It’s hard to judge that this is it," Campbell said. "It’s going to beryllium a hard pill to swallow watching these teams successful the playoffs. But I deliberation you’ve got to ticker them. You’ve got to unit yourself to bash it due to the fact that that’s a thrust to privation to beryllium there, beryllium a portion of it."

Head manager Dan Campbell looks connected anterior to the crippled against the Cleveland Browns astatine Ford Field connected Sept. 28, 2025 successful Detroit, Michigan.  (Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)

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There’s nary uncertainty Campbell volition proceed to spot his process and his squad to get the occupation done, but he’ll person to hold until September to get a changeable astatine checking disconnected the playoff extremity erstwhile again.

Campbell conscionable completed his 5th play arsenic caput manager of the Lions. He owns a 53-43-1 grounds implicit 97 games.

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