The Detroit Lions are officially in must-win territory.
At 7-5, they’re sitting just outside the NFC playoff picture, trailing the 49ers by a game and a half for the final Wild Card spot. And while the odds may have finally tilted against them for the first time this season, head coach Dan Campbell isn’t ready to hit the panic button just yet. In fact, he’s doubling down on a message that’s been central to his tenure in Detroit: clean football wins games.
“It takes every guy that we have doing their job,” Campbell said. “The margin for error is small, but it’s doable. We can do it.”
That’s not just coach-speak - it’s reality. The Lions have shown flashes of being a playoff-caliber team this season, but consistency has been their Achilles’ heel.
Whether it’s penalties, turnovers, or missed assignments, Detroit’s most stubborn opponent lately has been itself. Campbell knows it, and he’s not sugarcoating the challenge ahead.
“We’ve got to eliminate the things that keep us from winning before we can win the game,” he added. “Before you start battling against the opponent you’ve got to stop battling against yourself.”
That self-inflicted damage has been costly. The Lions have dropped two of their last three games, and with the playoff race tightening, there’s little room left for error.
The NFC is crowded, and the 49ers aren’t showing signs of slowing down. That means Detroit has to start stacking wins - now.
And it starts with Thursday night.
The Lions head to Dallas to take on a Cowboys team that’s been rolling. It’s a national stage, a primetime matchup, and a chance for Detroit to prove it still belongs in the postseason conversation. Campbell didn’t mince words when asked about the stakes.
“I know this: We’ve got to win this one,” he said. “We’ve got to win this one.”
There’s no hiding from the moment. The Lions are still alive, but the path forward is narrow.
To stay in the hunt, they’ll need to play disciplined, mistake-free football - the kind that’s eluded them in recent weeks. Every snap matters now, and every player has to lock in.
Campbell’s message is clear: the Lions don’t need to be perfect, but they do need to stop beating themselves. If they can do that, they’ve still got a shot.
But it starts Thursday night in Dallas. And if they can’t get it done there, the playoff door might start to close for good.