Lions’ Jack Campbell claps back at critics after massive Vikings win

Once again, Jack Campbell and the Detroit Lions are NFC North champions. The Lions defeated the Minnesota Vikings 31-9 at Ford Field to claim the division crown for the second year in a row. Detroit is the No. 1 seed in the NFC, as well. They have a first-round bye in the playoffs and will have home-field advantage through to the Super Bowl.

The Lions defense came up big on Sunday night. In fact, Detroit did not allow a touchdown against Minnesota in Week 18. The last time this defense finished a game without giving up a touchdown was in Week 12 against the Indianapolis Colts. Injuries have decimated the defense in recent weeks, which led to some outside doubt about Detroit’s ability to continue their run of form.

After the game, Campbell took the opportunity to hit back at some of the team’s detractors entering Week 18. “I’m just so proud of the group. I’m so proud of all the people who told us that we weren’t good enough, that our defense is trash, you can go down the line. I don’t really care,” the Lions linebacker said, via The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy.

Lions defense boosted by Alex Anzalone’s return

It wasn’t too long ago that Jack Campbell was the Lions’ only healthy starting linebacker from Week 1. Detroit’s injury issues decimated the position at various times throughout the season. On Sunday night, though, the Lions received a big boost as Alex Anzalone returned from injury.

Anzalone made an impact in his return to the field. He finished the game with seven combined tackles, according to ESPN. This led all Lions defenders in Week 18 against the Vikings. Furthermore, he made his presence felt when rushing the quarterback. Overall, he fueled a defensive unit that had struggled in recent weeks to one of its best performances of the season.

The Lions finished the regular season 15-2 in 2024. Detroit has a bye week during Wild Card Weekend next week. Following that, Detroit hosts one of the Divisional Round games in the NFC. The Lions made the NFC Championship Game in 2023 and nearly made the Super Bowl. Let’s see if this team can overcome their failure last year and make their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.