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Losing Fuels Detroit Lions Dan Campbell, Not Outside Noise
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell speaks at a press conference during training camp Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell understands the expectations for the team are vastly different than when he first step foot into the team's Allen Park Performance Center.

With a team that has been on the cusp of making it to the Super Bowl, every detail of what is occuring with the team has been put under a microscope.

Following a disappointing performance against the Green Bay Packers, supporters and pundits have expressed strong reactions to the team's 27-13 loss to a rival.

Campbell explained again his frustrations with losing prior to the team's practice on Wednesday.

"You know what fuels my tank is losing, right? That fuels me because I don't like losing," said Campbell. "Our players don't like it. And then you go back to work and you get back to the basics of what you do, man. And you hit it head on. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. We're all accountable. And if we want to win, we got to do the little things right and prepare that way. And then we got to play that way. So, that's what gets me going."

The new standard in Motown involves a heavy amount of scrutiny, reacting and possibly even overreacting to losses and how the team is playing.

Campbell acknowledged the changes in how fans and pundits react to the team signal to him the team is actually in a good spot. Having expectations is far better than being irrelevant.

When Campbell arrived, supporters hyper-focused on the draft, even as early as October and November.

"That's where the standards are at now. So, that's the nature of what we're in right now. But that's a good thing. That means that we've risen above what we were at one time,'' said Campbell. "That's our world, man. That's our world. But I know that if we felt that way and acted that way, we'd be in trouble.

"We can't worry about all that. You know, I mentioned this the other day. All you worry about is getting better. You really do. You're like, we got to get much better with our fundamentals and communication. Just those two things alone. And if we improve that, a whole other step above what we did last week, we're going to be much better. And then let's get a little bit better the next week. And it'll take care of itself. It really will."


This article first appeared on Detroit Lions on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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