Dan Campbell Takes Blame for Critical Error in Lions’ Loss to Buccaneers

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has taken full responsibility for a critical error that cost his team a scoring opportunity in their 20-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

The incident occurred just before halftime, with the Lions trailing 13-6 and driving down to the Buccaneers’ nine-yard line. As quarterback Jared Goff and the offense prepared to spike the ball with three seconds left, the field goal unit prematurely entered the game, resulting in a penalty for too many men on the field. This led to a 10-second runoff that ended the half, depriving the Lions of a chance to score.

Campbell was unequivocal in his self-criticism, stating, “Critical error to end the half, and 100 percent on me. We improved. There’s areas we’ve got to continue to improve on, but it’s not OK,” according to ESPN‘s Eric Woodyard. He emphasized that the mistake was entirely his fault, saying, “There’s no way to justify this. It was just between hurry-up field goal and clocking, and it was 100 percent my fault.”

Despite the blunder, the Lions had several opportunities to win the game, including a fourth-quarter drive that ended with an incomplete fourth-down pass from Goff on Tampa Bay’s 44-yard line with 33 seconds remaining. The team managed 463 total yards but struggled to consistently finish drives.

This loss highlights the ongoing challenges the Lions face in managing critical game situations, and Campbell’s acknowledgment underscores his commitment to improving these aspects of the team’s performance.