Jack Campbell has been epitomizing the Lions’ identity on defense

The hole in Campbell's upper lip was big enough to stick his tongue through.

"It was kind of gross,” Campbell said. “I didn’t do it until I figured out I could honestly, and then I was like, ‘this is really weird and that probably shouldn’t be that way.’ And then at that point, I got it patched up, and it was all good. But then after the game, that’s when I really noticed, ‘this is really disgusting.’"

So, did he come off the field for even one snap? Of course not. He had a defense to lead, after all.

“The defense loved it,” head coach Dan Campbell said. “He’s in there at the end of the game trying to call plays, and blood is spitting out everywhere, and they were just eating it up.”

Campbell is fully embodying what a Lions captain is

The Lions put the green dot on Campbell’s helmet this summer after veteran Alex Anzalone held out for part of camp during a contract dispute. It’s now his full-time job to receive and relay Kelvin Sheppard’s defensive playcalls and serve as quarterback of the defense, after he picked up that duty for a stretch in 2024 while Anzalone was injured. 

And on Monday, he was in full command.

Campbell led the Lions with eight tackles, all solo, with a sack and forced fumble. Detroit sacked Lamar Jackson seven times and held Derrick Henry to 50 yards on the ground, 28 of which came on a first-quarter touchdown run. The all-world running back was virtually shut down after that.

It was a dazzling performance from the Detroit defense, and Campbell was right in the middle of the group’s most memorable sequence. Baltimore faced a first and goal at the Lions’ three-yard line, and the Lions denied Henry three straight times at the goal line. Baltimore lined up quickly to go for it on fourth down.

Jackson rolled out, pumpfaked and scanned the area before Campbell shot through the gap. The linebacker first got his hands up to defend the pumpfake and then got his hands on Jackson.

Jackson, who has made a habit of stiffarming pass rushers to keep the play alive, tried desperately to stave Campbell off, keep his eyes downfield and find somebody. But Campbell, still holding on for dear life, finally wrested the ball from Jackson’s grasp before it was kicked around the field and Jackson fell on it around the 20-yard line.

Turnover on downs, goal line stand Lions.

That sequence is everything the Lions want to be. Tough, fearless and yet still incredibly disciplined, even when one of the most devastating backfield duos in NFL history is staring you down with four tries to gain three yards.

And what better microcosm of that mentality than the guy who’s literally spitting out blood, still barking out calls and getting everybody set?

"He's a stud, this guy," Dan Campbell said. "He's a workaholic. The knowledge for the game and the way he studies for the game. He prepares for it. He's playing at a really high level right now. We feel like the guy can do it all. He doesn’t even come off the field. He can do everything for us.”

Campbell was viewed by some pundits as a confusing reach when the Lions picked him 18th overall in 2023. It’s not the range where off-ball linebackers typically go these days, generally speaking at least. But the Lions fell in love with his tackling, sound technique and unteachable attitude, and banked on his development in pass coverage.

They felt like one day Campbell would be the perfect player to lead the physical, no-quit style of play that the Lions have become known for in the Dan Campbell-Brad Holmes era, and put a lot on his plate right away. They tried him out of position as a rookie, playing him in the SAM role currently occupied by Derrick Barnes, before shifting him back over to his natural position of MIKE last year. 

He was one of the few Detroit defenders who withstood the onslaught of injuries that devastated the group last season, and became more and more important to the team each week as the laundry list of injured Lions increased. 

READ MORE: Lions' star running back duo outdid Derrick Henry in historic fashion during MNF

That experience required him to grow up on the field in a hurry. We’re seeing the results of that now.

Campbell has been one of the best run defending linebackers in the NFL this season and has played every defensive snap so far, save for one series against Chicago and garbage time in Detroit’s loss to Green Bay. He’s as tough as they come, and is well on his way to becoming one of the league’s best middle defenders. 

You have to be a certain kind of sicko to play football for Dan Campbell. Bonus points if you have the same last name. We saw that on Monday night in spades, blood spilling and all.

“He’s just all ball, man. He’s all ball,” the head coach said. “Whatever you need is what he’s going to do.”