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So, here we are again with the Detroit Lions—5-3, hanging onto the final NFC Wild Card spot, but already matching last year’s loss tally after just eight weeks. If you blinked, you might’ve missed the shift from league darling to “wait, they’re just okay?” It’s almost like coach Dan Campbell is enjoying this unexpected role as an afterthought. Seriously, who would’ve thought a team coming off a 15-2 season would be secretly relieved to fly under the radar? Yet, Campbell embraces it, seeing this quieter corner of the NFL as a chance for the Lions to regroup, recalibrate, and maybe, just maybe, roar louder when it counts. Makes you wonder—is flying under the radar the new winning strategy?

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - NOVEMBER 02: Head coach Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions looks on prior to the game against the Minnesota Vikings in the game at Ford Field on November 02, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. — (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)

The Detroit Lions hold the final NFC Wild Card spot at 5-3 entering Week 10 after dropping their third game of the season to the Minnesota Vikings. Detroit has already matched its loss total from last year when the team finished 15-2 and secured the top seed in the conference.

The shift in standings has altered expectations around a team that dominated throughout most of 2024. Head coach Dan Campbell addressed the current situation following the recent defeat.

He reflected on how the team’s position has changed and why he views the circumstances as beneficial heading into the second half of the season.

“It’s good to be a little bit of an afterthought again,” Campbell said Friday. “It’s nice. It’s like, ‘Hey man, all good.’ There’re some teams playing some good football, and we’re whatever, and that’s all good, man. This is good. We’ll go about our business over in the corner and get our stuff right and come out humming. So, it’s good.”

Dan Campbell is not surprised the 5-3 Lions are receiving a negative reaction after last week's loss.

"It's good to be a little bit of an afterthought again," he said. He told the team before the season that a 15-2 record last year means losses are looked at differently. pic.twitter.com/y166e0q0Th

— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) November 7, 2025

Campbell warned his players before the season about the heightened scrutiny that accompanies success. Three losses now generate the kind of criticism that would have been overlooked in previous years when Detroit was still building toward contention.

The coach expected this reaction after the team’s breakthrough campaign in 2024. When the 2025 schedule was released, few analysts predicted Detroit would replicate last season’s record.

Defensive upgrades provided reasons for optimism about a deeper postseason run even if the win total declined slightly. Campbell shares that perspective and does not view the current record as evidence of regression.

He believes Detroit is developing into a tougher and more complete team as the season progresses. The departure of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and the arrival of John Morton created external questions about the offense.

Campbell sees an opportunity to use that doubt as motivation while refocusing on the mentality that drove Detroit’s rise. The Lions are working to recapture their identity as December approaches.

The post Dan Campbell Reveals Why He’s Happy After Latest Loss appeared first on The Cold Wire.