Allen Park — Ahead of the team’s annual training camp practice at Ford Field in August, Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell made a passionate plea to the fans in attendance to come back during the regular season, be loud and have an impact on the games.
“Let me tell you something, we’re gonna bring the firewood, and we’re gonna light the flame,” Campbell said. “But, you guys know, at some point, it gets late in the night, man, and you really want to see the show and see how high you can get this thing to burn. You’ll douse it with gasoline, and that’s what we need from you.”
But through eight games, including four at home, Campbell’s team hasn’t held up it up its end of the bargain. The Lions are winless, and in the past two at Ford Field, they’ve been wholly uncompetitive, losing to the Bengals and Eagles by a combined score of 78-17.
With those struggles, more and more fans are opting to stay home. After hovering just above 50,000 against Baltimore on Sept. 26 and the Bengals on Oct. 17, the Lions dipped below that paid-attendance threshold for the first time in more than a decade on Sunday, with only 47,192 ponying up for tickets. Through four games, only the Washington Football Team is averaging fewer fans.
And even though Campbell wants the stands be packed with rowdy supporters, he understands their growing apathy.
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“Look, I get it,” Campbell said Monday. “When you don’t win a game and you’re 0-8, and you’ve lost at home, I can’t, I’m not going to be upset with that. I understand, you know? My job is to try and find a way to help us win, so that they want to come watch a winning product. That’s what I’m charged with is helping these guys on this team get a win. If we do that, then everything else will fall in place. Winning solves a lot of issues as we all know.”
All quiet on trade front
The league’s trading deadline is 4 p.m. on Tuesday and one massive deal went down Monday morning, when the Denver Broncos shipped three-time All-Pro pass rusher Von Miller to the Los Angeles Rams for draft considerations.
For the Lions, not much is cooking, according to Campbell.
“I don’t see anything right now that I can say has got any legs,” he said.
That doesn’t mean the team is closed for business, but the coach is leaving any talks to general manager Brad Holmes.
“Look, we’re open to listening to anything, but there again, that’s where Brad goes to work,” Campbell said. “That’s what he does, and if it’s something significant, he’ll bring it to me. I’m letting him deal with that right now.”
The Lions aren’t really in position to be trading away draft equity for assets. They already gave up two late-round selections this year to acquire wide receiver Trinity Benson, who has struggled his first half-season with the Lions.
Detroit did get a pick back in that exchange, but the sixth-rounder Denver included is in 2023.
Meaningful encouragement
In good times and bad, Campbell often leans on the lessons he learned from mentors Bill Parcells and Sean Payton.
“Bill is always about trust what you believe in,” Campbell said. “Trust what you believe in, be convicted in it and don’t go away from it. Just stay the course and it will come.”
Campbell said he hasn’t heard from too many people in the industry as his team continues to search for its first win, but believes some of that boils down to the superstition that’s pervasive in the profession.
“We’re a pretty superstitious group, so a lot of them are afraid because they texted, maybe they’re the reason why,” he said. “I used to be that way too, if I called a coach and they weren’t winning then I felt like, OK, I better quit calling because maybe I’m the reason.”
But Campbell did share that one of his peers had reached out on Monday, echoing Parcells’ creed.
“As a matter of fact, just for example, (Tennessee Titans coach) Mike Vrabel reached out to me today,” Campbell said. “That was pretty cool of him. It was the same message, ‘Hey, just stay the course. Just do what you believe in and it will come.’ You always appreciate those, you know?”
Bye week plan
The players will be in the building for Tuesday and Wednesday during the bye. Campbell said he intends to go over the game tape with the full team on Tuesday before conducting a short, competitive practice with the roster’s younger players who didn’t see the field much against the Eagles on Sunday.
Similarly, the full team will conduct a short, hour-long practice on Wednesday, to address some of their key issues before taking a break for a few days.
While the players are away, Campbell said he plans to go home and watch film throughout the weekend.
“Man, I’m going to be grinding, looking at things, go back and look at these first eight weeks, in all three phases and just see if I can find some hidden nuggets, hidden gems, what we can do better,” Campbell said.
A score to remember
After a long, seven-week wait, rookie running back Jermar Jefferson finally saw his first snaps on offense against the Eagles, helping fill in for injured starter Jamaal Williams.
it wasn’t a huge workload for Jefferson, 11 snaps, but he managed to catch four passes and rush for an 8-yard touchdown.
Dealing with the mixed emotions that come with scoring your first NFL touchdown, but doing so in a game where you’re down 40 points in the fourth quarter, Jefferson initially forgot to keep the ball.
Eventually it found its way back to him, and after the team’s equipment staff modifies it to reflect the accomplishment, Jefferson plans to give it to his father, who wasn’t able to make the game on short notice.
“I’m probably going to give it to my dad, because he was the first one to ask for it,” Jefferson asked. “He was like, ‘I’m going to need your game ball, your first touchdown.’ I’m just going to give it to him.”
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers