Jack Campbell stood in the visitors’ locker room in Orchard Park on Thursday night and could not keep his voice steady.
The All-Pro linebacker and team captain had just watched Buffalo hang 41 on his defense in the first regular-season game at the new Highmark Stadium. He did not reach for a single excuse.
“I played terrible. It starts with me, and I feel like it’s on me. I gotta be better,” Campbell said, his voice cracking. “I ain’t got no other thing to do but look in the mirror and be better.”
The Damage
Buffalo jumped out 21-0 and led 27-10 at halftime. Josh Allen accounted for five total touchdowns. James Cook ran for 135 yards, including a 35-yard burst after tight end Dawson Knox blocked Campbell out of the play.
The Bills finished with 203 rushing yards and 446 yards of total offense. Detroit clawed back within 10 in the third quarter before Buffalo pulled away for the 41-31 final.
Campbell had six tackles and a quarterback hit. He led the NFL in run stops last season and signed a four-year extension in the offseason. He offered nothing about the depleted secondary or the short week.
He Is Taking Blame He Does Not Fully Own
Here is the thing about Campbell’s speech: it was admirable and it was wrong. One linebacker did not give up 446 yards.
Detroit has now allowed 30 or more points in consecutive games and sits at 1-1. That is a structural failure, not a personnel failure at one position. When an offense of Buffalo’s caliber gets a 21-0 head start, the problem is in the plan, the fits and the back end.
The Lions have spent three years building an offense that can win shootouts. They are currently being asked to win them, which means the defense has stopped holding up its end.
What It Says About The Locker Room
Linebacker Derrick Barnes said watching Campbell that distraught made him want to raise his own standard. That is the value of a captain who breaks down in public: the standard becomes contagious.
A team with real problems and no one taking them personally is in far worse shape than this one. Detroit’s culture is not the issue.
The Schedule Offers A Window
The Lions have extra rest before hosting the Jets. That is exactly what a defense giving up 30 a week needs, and the Jets are the right opponent to test whether the fixes hold.
Campbell said he will study the film and not run from what he sees. He should not have to carry it alone. If Detroit’s coaching staff lets a linebacker absorb the blame for a unit-wide collapse, the tears will be back before October.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.