The Detroit Lions’ 23-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings is weighing heavily on head coach Dan Campbell and his team. With the Week 17 loss, the franchise has bid adieu to the postseason. The frustration is naturally there in the locker room, and Campbell knows just the person to shoulder the blame. In his latest message, the coach didn’t sugarcoat what went wrong and pointed fingers at quarterback Jared Goff and his offense.

“I can’t turn the ball over six times and win in this league,” he said via ESPN‘s Eric Woodyard’s post on X. “Defense did some really good things. Getting stopped after stop, offensively I thought we’d play hard. You turn the ball over that many times, it’s gonna hurt. So that’s what got us.”

In a clip shared by Woodyard, Dan Campbell breaks down the painful loss, citing turnovers as the root cause. After all, the Lions recorded six turnovers, with Goff responsible for five of them—two interceptions and three fumbles. Meanwhile, running back Jahmyr Gibbs added another lost fumble to the pile. Of Goff’s three lost fumbles, one was a sack while two were on bad snaps from backup center Kingsley Eguakun.

Further, veteran safety Harrison Smith grabbed one of Goff’s two interceptions and also sacked him once. The most shocking part? This collapse was rare as the Lions’ offense has had just eight turnovers in their last 15 games. Goff finished 18-of-29 for 197 yards and tossed the game’s only touchdown to wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa late in the second quarter. 

It came during an 80-yard drive that lasted 19 plays and chewed up over 10 minutes. On the rushing side, the ground game never took off and managed just 68 without a single touchdown. Conversely, the team’s defense delivered a promising play as Campbell mentioned. The unit posted six sacks, with defensive ends Aidan Hutchinson and Al-Quadin Muhammad each bringing ‌down the Vikings twice. 

This marked Hutchinson’s ninth career multi-sack performance, pushing his season total to a career-high 13.5 sacks. Overall, the defense allowed just 161 total yards, but they did surrender one critical play. It was a crucial 65-yard touchdown run by wide receiver Jordan Addison that swung the momentum against them. The ultimate result was Dan Campbell’s team losing both the matchup and the playoffs. The coach is not letting it go easily and even made his thoughts clear to his players. 

Dan Campbell shares his disappointment with the Lions

The Lions’ 2025 season concluded as they walked out of U.S. Bank Stadium on Christmas night. It was painful for the fans as the team entered the campaign with a solid 67% chance of making the playoffs, according to ESPN’s Analytics. But after dropping four of its final five games, the team’s dreams slipped away gradually. Dan Campbell didn’t hide his frustration.

After an epic 15-win campaign in 2024, missing the playoffs felt like a gut punch. While there’s no denying the Lions suffered a tough offseason after losing both coordinators. Yet, a powerful 5-2 start ignited hopes that the team would recapture its last season’s magic. Only, it never happened. As reality hits hard, Campbell shares an important message about accountability. 

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“I’m gonna be looking at a lot. I’m gonna be looking at a lot of things because I do not like being home for the playoffs,” he said. “And I know our guys don’t either. And there again, whenever you lose, it takes a village. Everybody’s involved, including myself. So, I’m always gonna look myself first.”

Further, the coach confirmed that roster adjustments will be on the table in the offseason as the team looks to improve.

“[Lions general manager] Brad [Holmes] and I will have a lot of decisions to make,” he said. “A lot of things to look at…I know this, it doesn’t take much for things to get off balance. Not as much as you would think.” 

While Dan Campbell’s team awaits changes, its current focus remains on finishing strong against the Chicago Bears.