Dan Campbell didn’t get much sleep on Sunday night. It could have been worse, though.
The Detroit Lions kicked off their season on Sunday night and needed overtime to secure a 26-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams in a game that wrapped up just before midnight.
“Look, it is hard to sleep after any game, especially when you get home at 1:00 or 2:00 or whatever that was,” Campbell said Monday afternoon. “Your mind is racing, thinking about all the different things that went right or wrong, and it is impossible to sleep no matter how tired you are.”
Defensive lineman Alim McNeill mentioned he didn’t fall asleep until 4 a.m., switching between watching game film and episodes of “Reba” on Netflix.
“He said he was doing what?” Campbell laughed. “I remember what it was like as a player, so I understand what Mac is talking about. You’re going through every play over again.”
The Lions didn’t look like a Super Bowl contender for much of the game. They were ahead 17-3 early in the third quarter, but Matthew Stafford led another comeback at Ford Field.
With a weakened offensive line and key wide receiver Puka Nacua out with a knee injury, Stafford threw a touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp, putting the Rams ahead 20-17 with 4:30 remaining.
“Stafford, man, it is almost like you don’t want to hit him, because I think that’s when he plays better,” Campbell said. “He just keeps making plays.”
The Rams had a chance to seal the game when the Lions went three-and-out, but Stafford overthrew Kupp on a pass that could have ended it. Given another opportunity, Jared Goff capitalized on a crucial Rams penalty to drive the ball deep into Los Angeles territory.
