Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell doesn’t believe there’s much blame to go around for the gruesome injury that Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered last week.
Daniels was playing late in a blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks when he landed awkwardly while being tackled and hyperextended his elbow. The injury will keep Daniels out for several weeks, starting with this week’s game against the Lions.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the game, Campbell said he doesn’t believe that Commanders head coach Dan Quinn needs to shoulder the blame.
Dan Campbell Speaks Out
Quinn took responsibility for the injury to Daniels, saying the team’s star quarterback should have been out of the game when he was hurt late in the fourth quarter. While Campbell agreed it was an unfortunate injury, he didn’t believe that anyone was to blame.
âI know hindsight, all this and that, but yeah, I do feel for him,â Campbell said, via The Associated Press. âBut I donât feel like he should have to feel that way.â
With Daniels landing on injured reserve, the Commanders are starting veteran Marcus Mariota against the Lions this weekend. Though the Commanders have struggled while dropping to 3-6 this season, Mariota said he believes in his team and knows they can bounce back.
“And it starts up top with DQ [Head Coach Dan Quinn],” Mariota said, via the team’s official website. “He sets the mood every day, guys follow that and I do believe that. And again, it’s not going to all happen at once.”
The Commanders are entering a difficult stretch that includes games against the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, and Philadelphia Eagles, but it starts with the Lions on Sunday. Mariota said the team can only focus on the game ahead of them, saying they need to do some course correcting against the Lions.
“We understand that being out here, taking it one day at a time, getting things corrected, getting things organized, making sure everyone’s on the same page so that when we do get to Sunday, guys are feeling confident and ready to go,” he said.
Lions Looking to Bounce Back
The Lions are coming off a loss to the Vikings and are looking to avoid their first two-game losing streak since the 2022 season. Lions quarterback Jared Goff said he’s confident in his team’s ability to bounce back, as they did after a season-opening loss to the Green Bay Packers. The Lions responded with four straight wins, then recovered from a loss against the Kansas City Chiefs by beating the NFC-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
âItâs all kind of who we are and what weâre built for,â Goff said. âNow again, this is another team thatâs coming off a loss and they probably pride themselves in being built that way as well, so weâve got our hands full.â
The Lions had a chance to jump back to the top of the NFC North last week, but remain a half-game behind the Packers after their loss to the Vikings.
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