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A Lions fan celebrates a homemade title belt at Ford Field in 2022.
The Detroit Lions came on the short end of the baton on Sunday, September 11, losing to the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35. Although that is the case, it was an impressive day in many ways.
One of the biggest ways was the fans who showed up and provided passion throughout the match. As the week went into, it was clear that the Lions would be backed by a selling crowd, but no one knows how much. By Sunday afternoon, it was clear.
Detroit coach Dan Campbell was very grateful for the early support. Campbell had a lot to say about the crowd, and in the middle of his press with the media on Monday, September 12, he shared some unimpeded emotion.
As Campbell told reporters including Dave Burkett of the Detroit Free Press, the venue was booming and the fans were incredible.
“Dan Campbell: Our fans were amazing yesterday… that place was thriving. They keep doing it, and that gives us a huge opportunity,” Birkett chirp After listening to Campbell’s talk.
As Campbell aptly points out, there is no relief for the weary. Lions fans will have a chance in Week Two to influence the game even more when Washington’s leaders come to town.
Rather than despair, Lions fans should heed Campbell’s message and get straight back to work. The Eagles are a strong team, and the efforts of Detroit and Ford Field could have won many games in the first week.
AJ Brown praised Lions fans
It wasn’t just my coaches and Lions players who had good things to say about what the fans were able to do. Members of the opposition were also affected.
The Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown, who had one of the best days of any player on the field with 10 receptions for 155 yards, admitted that Lions fans were routinely difficult for Philadelphia to listen and communicate, and players couldn’t hear each other on the field.
As Nolan Bianchi of the Detroit News told, it was hard to hear one person to another on the field during the game.
“We couldn’t hear anything. If I was talking to you, I wouldn’t hear at all. So shout them out for it. Eagles, AJ Brown greets the crowd at Ford Field today,” Brown said in Bianchi’s tweet.
Brown and the Eagles know they’ve escaped Detroit, which may generate a reputation as a very difficult place to play.
Sale Ford Field Rocked Week 1
From the start of the game to the end, the crowd brought emotion. Early on, Lions fans were deafening and may have caused some major communication problems for the Eagles.
A few early false starts demonstrated the impact fans could have on a match, and the Eagles’ attack looked choppy in their first series, not getting much done and four out and out. Philadelphia was settling in and starting to move the ball, but the fan noise never subsided, returning once the Lions got back into the game.
Note also? Lions fans on the team didn’t give up once things started looking desperate. Instead, they seemed to rise to the occasion more, stay in the game, and almost help the team come back.
The rest of this year, the fans will need to put in that effort, because there is a good chance of helping the team win a few games. Campbell seems to know this better than anything, which is why he is so grateful.
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