This wasn’t supposed to happen.
The Detroit Lions’ defense wasn’t supposed to play this well.
Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers weren’t supposed to play this poorly.
And Dan Campbell certainly wasn’t supposed to be standing at the lectern with a hoarse voice and a huge smile after leading his team to an improbable 15-9 victory Sunday before a raucous crowd of 63,379 at Ford Field after a week of organizational turmoil.
Yet somehow, some way, it happened. The Lions pulled off the upset of all upsets by playing their best defensive game since they beat the Arizona Cardinals, 30-12, 11 months ago.
Six days after Campbell fired Aubrey Pleasant, the defensive backs coach and defensive pass-game coordinator, the secondary had an outstanding day.
Five days after the Lions traded Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson to the Minnesota Vikings, Jared Goff threw touchdown passes to his replacements: Shane Zylstra and James Mitchell.
LIONS GRADES:Defense gets high marks all around in win over Packers
Clearly whatever inspiring message Campbell delivered to the Lions this week would have made Knute Rockne and Henry V jealous.
“Well, I don’t know if they’re listening,” Campbell said with a smirk, “but we won, so I’ll take it.
“They’re listening to somebody, and I’ll take that if it’s me or somebody else, because I’ll take the win.”
No one in the NFL needed a win more than Campbell and the Lions, who broke a five-game losing streak and improved their meager record to 2-6, but also restored some faith and hope among their fans, who were subjected to a week of team-rattling moves and then a logic-defying trade explanation by general manager Brad Holmes.
“Yeah, it’s big, certainly big,” Goff said. “Any win can boost our confidence, and sure, this week was tough.”
That restoration started with the most improbable of sources: the secondary. It held Rodgers to a 53.5 passer rating and 53.5% completion rate while coming up with three interceptions: two by safety Kirby Joseph and another by defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. They were major plays made all the more significant by who made them: respective third- and first-round draft picks who help validate Holmes’ efforts.
“It’s hard anytime you lose a great coach,” cornerback Jeff Okudah said. “I think today speaks to the resilience of the guys in this locker room. After everything that happened, we put our heads (down), locked in on the tunnel vision and got a win.”
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I’ve been in enough Lions locker rooms over the years to know that trading away key players can undermine players’ confidence in their leadership and themselves. I asked Goff how hard it was, especially for younger players, to block out the noise surrounding all the organizational drama last week.
“Sure, I think it’s impossible for them, and it’s impossible for a lot of us,” he said. “It’s on our phones. We’re on our phones, and it’s just how do you handle it. Not let your guys’ opinions matter, as much as you guys think they do.”
Goff allowed himself a nice, fat grin while saying this. He earned it after some big, old meanies publicly said the Lions’ season was over after Hockenson’s trade.
The Lions deserve credit for winning for the first time in nearly two months. But their issues aren’t remotely close to fixed because there were a lot of anomalies that went into beating the Packers.
Green Bay reached the Lions’ side of the field on eight of nine drives, and reached the red zone five times, yet scored only twice. The Packers are such a mess that a reporter actually asked Rodgers after the game if he regretted not retiring after the season. “I don’t make decisions and then in hindsight, 20-20, have regrets about big decisions like that,” he said.
But as impressive as the Lions’ defense was, the offense was its mirror opposite: an untenable mess and needs answers because Campbell can’t expect to win many more games, 15-9.
MORE FROM MONARREZ:Lions’ defense looks like a different unit after firing Aubrey Pleasant
And yet, the Lions remain a viable team because they remain together. The locker room hasn’t changed much through the losing or the winning, with the notable exception being the ear-shattering decibel level coming from the music being played during the celebration.
“You see my voice is about to be gone,” defensive tackle Alim McNeill said. “But yeah, it feels good. We need to do that more often. We need to make winning a habit. But it feels really good.”
Winning always feels great. The Lions should enjoy the victory because it was hard-fought and well-earned.
“I’ll be honest with you, I’m exhausted,” said Campbell while looking the part. “Like I want to go home, put the feet up, drink a beer, so it feels real good. I’m just proud of them. I really am.
“I’m proud of our coaches, I’m proud of the players. I’m proud of everybody because everybody puts a lot of work into it. I know it’s only two, but my gosh man.”
It’s hard to say what this improbable win will lead to. Maybe an improbable streak. Maybe nothing. If nothing else, finding success after such a draining week should at least prove the Lions aren’t hopeless.
Contact Carlos Monarrez: cmonarrez@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @cmonarrez.