When moving past Saturday night’s disappointing loss to the Cowboys, Lions coach Dan Campbell is walking a tightrope regarding whether his team and its fans should be upset about the handling of the fateful two-point conversion attempt.
On Monday, Campbell was asked about the perception that the NFL is “against” the Lions.
“Don’t do that,” Campbell replied. “Don’t do it. I know. I get it. But don’t do that. Don’t buy into that. Don’t live in that world, man. That’ll just pull you down.
“If it makes you feel any better, the NFL’s against every team, all right? I was in New Orleans. I know what that feels like.”
He was referring to the 2018 NFC Championship, when an uncalled pass interference penalty kept the Saints from getting to Super Bowl LIII.
“I would tell fans don’t do it,” Campbell said. “Don’t even believe that. We’re just getting started.”
Still, Campbell surely welcomes the jolt of “octane” (to use his word) that comes from the perception of getting robbed, especially since the Lions will soon embark on single-elimination football. When something like this happens in the playoffs, there’s no chance to rectify it. When it happens late in the regular season, there is.
It’s always good to have a genuine chip on the shoulder. For Campbell, it’s about balancing the chip just right. He wants the players to be motivated by the perception that they were screwed. For the same reason a coach complains loudly about a perceived bad call during a game, Campbell might be trying to work the officials preemptively, angling for makeup calls in the postseason.
But he doesn’t want to go too far. Declare war on 345 Park Avenue serves no purpose. He just wants everyone, including the officials of Detroit’s postseason games, to think the Lions got a raw deal. It gets the team more focused, and it possibly helps the Lions get a few jump balls that otherwise might not go their way.
It’s a win-win, if Campbell handles it the right way. Even if it would be better for the league if Campbell would admit that he was trying to confuse the Cowboys and in so doing confused the officials prior to the two-point play, it’s better for the Lions for Campbell to stop short of contradicting the perception that the officials bungled Detroit’s shot at beating the Cowboys and, given the Eagles’ loss on Sunday, seizing the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
