The Detroit Lions may be facing the most adversity of any 12-2 team in NFL history.
The Lions fell 48-42 to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday while suffering further setbacks on the injury front.
Running back David Montgomery, who has formed a devastating partnership with Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit’s backfield this season, will be out for the rest of the campaign with a sprained MCL in his right knee.
Campbell’s aggressive style also came back to bite him in the Bills defeat, potentially revealing a major weakness in the Lions’ makeup.
On Tuesday, MCDC came out swinging on local Detroit radio station, 97.1 The Ticket, delivering a fiery rant about injuries and the adversity his team is currently facing.
“Let me say this first, man. Anytime you lose players, man, it’s hard,” Campbell said.
“The obvious that everybody sees is that you lose the player and that production and what he’s done on the field, but it’s more than that to us.
“It’s more than that to his coaches and his teammates. They bring so much more to the table than just out there running around and trying to make plays.
“When you lose a guy like Alim McNeill, it’s a big part of what we do, and David Montgomery, and Khalil Dorsey, and Carlton Davis. Those hurt. Those hurt, man, and you hate losing guys like that.
“So, it means there’s another opportunity for other guys. You know what happens is you win 11 in a row and you lose, and then the sky falls. I hate to say it, but we’re not going to be able to win 11 in a row again for the rest of this season. We’re just not going to be able to do it.
“What happens is, you get used to eating filet… but you forgot what it was like when you had nothing and you ate your f****** molded bread, you know?” Campbell went on.
“Sometimes you have to get punched in the mouth and remember what it used to be like to really appreciate where you are.
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“We got a bad taste in our mouths, we got kicked around the other day, we lost a few guys, and you know what? It’s exactly what we needed.
“We’re going to bounce back, we’re going to respond. We’ve got guys that are about to have an unbelievable opportunity here, and we will play the game any way needed to win. We still got a good offense. We’ve got plenty of defensive players. I could go rattle them off right now.
“We’re going to put the best 11 out on the field. We’re going to friggin’ cut it loose. We’re going to play with our special teams.
“And I don’t give a c*** whether we gotta win by one point for the rest of the year, that’s what we’re going to do. And I’m going to be happy about it.
“We come out of the game with 50 yards of total offense and we win by one? You’re going to see smiles on my face. I promise you. If it’s the other way, defensively we give up 700 yards and we win by one point, you’re going to see a f****** smile from my ear to ear, alright? I can promise you. So we’re going to find a way, and we’re going to get it done.”
Campbell’s rant came just before injured star Aidan Hutchinson vowed to return for the Super Bowl, should the Lions reach it.
The superstar defensive end suffered a broken shin in the Lions win over the Dallas Cowboys on October 13. He was the first of many defensive losses for the Lions, and had surgery recently with the hope of being able to return deep into the postseason.
“I’m on track for my goal of returning for the Super Bowl,” Hutchinson said.
“And so, I keep telling all the boys when I see them in the (Lions) facility, ‘you’ve just to get there. And I promise you I’m going to be back’.”
Hutchinson was expected to miss 4-6 months through injury amid ongoing rehab. The Super Bowl will be played in New Orleans on February 9th, just under four months after Hutchinson got injured.
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