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The Detroit Lions show a composure that is second to none

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The Detroit Lions show a composure that is second to none

MINNEAPOLIS – Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell has prepared his team for this moment.

For this adversity.

He preached about it all week.

“It was going to come down to the wire — the team knew that,” Campbell said after the Lions earned a 31-29 win over the Minnesota Vikings. “We talked about patience. Patience. Keep your composure. Communication. Attitude. Our boys did that. We persevered and didn’t sleep a wink.”

If you want to know how the Lions won at US Bank Stadium on Sunday, it started long before Jake Bates' dramatic, powerful 44-yard field goal with 15 seconds left.

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Long before quarterback Jared Goff led the team to a last-minute victory – he's playing like one of the best players in the NFL.

Long before the defense got a big stop late in the fourth quarter and forced a punt.

It started days before the game with what Campbell preached to his team and it was brilliant.

“We just kept our composure,” Taylor Decker said. “We talked about that. We knew it wouldn't be perfect. … We knew this game was going to be like that. Two great teams. Dan told us all week, 'Patience.' Everything will be OK.' It would click. So, you know, we just kept that going and took each play at a time.”

Sometimes a coach makes a decision during a game that changes everything. But in this case, it happened in the days before.

So when the Vikings took a 10-0 lead, the Lions didn't panic. They were prepared for this.

“We knew they were off to a good start early in the games,” Goff said. “They come out with their hair on fire. It got on our nerves a little early on. We had to react. That's what we do. We are designed to respond.”

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Yes, this team is made for something special. The Lions are off to a 5-1 start to the season for the second straight year – the first since the franchise moved to Detroit in 1934.

“This is a huge road win in a tough environment,” said Campbell, whose team has beaten the Vikings four straight times, their longest winning streak against Minnesota since the 1960s. “You don’t necessarily want to win, but we desperately needed it.”

Built to last

After the game, Decker stood next to his locker.

“What does this victory say about you?” a reporter asked him.

“That it’s real and built to last,” Decker said. “I think we laid the foundation right and got the right people here so it can be sustainable.”

Think about it.

The Lions played the undefeated Vikings – a Super Bowl contender – without Aidan Hutchinson, one of the league's best defensive players. But they launched a few more lightning attacks and everyone seemed to be doing their part.

“We all came together,” Lions defenseman Brian Branch said. “Everyone had to improve. Each player has a role without Hutch. When you lose such a big piece, everyone has to stand up.”

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But no one was as strong as Branch, who had four tackles, two passes defended and an interception.

Don’t be too quick to pass over these statistics. It is Branch's fifth straight game with at least two pass breakups, marking the longest streak by an NFL safety since data collection began in 1999. And he is still relatively young. He has played in just 20 games in his career, but is only the fourth player in NFL history since 1999 with at least 24 pass breakups and seven interceptions in his first 20 games.

Yes, a building block like Branch makes this sustainable.

“We knew our backs were against the wall,” Branch said. “It's us against the world. “We know how good we are as a defense and if we can do that it will only boost our confidence.”

It's hard to say there was a play where both teams had a long list of mistakes and big plays.

But Branch had a direct impact on the outcome, playing a crucial role in the Vikings' failed two-point conversion attempt when Sam Darnold threw an incomplete throw to Jordan Addison.

The real key, however, was how Branch and rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold worked together, switching receivers and responsibilities when the two receivers crossed paths.

“That’s kind of the key to it – the chemistry,” Arnold said. “That’s the key.”

It goes back to what Campbell had been preaching all week: communicating through adversity while maintaining composure in the hottest moments.

“We knew the whole week was about composure, composure, composure,” Goff said. “Dan preached that to us over and over again.”

We trust Goff

I keep thinking about what Decker said: Real and built to last.

That makes me think of Goff.

He puts together some historical figures.

He completed 22 of 25 passes (88.0%) for 280 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, earning him a 140 passer rating. Once again he was almost perfect.

Which is mind-blowing.

Goff is the starting QB in the NFL damned History to post an 80% completion rate and 140 passer rating in four straight games. I mean, the first.

“The guy has arm talent, no question about it,” Campbell said. “But it’s what he has here (points to his head) and what he has here (points to his heart). That makes him a dangerous player and it really makes him one of those guys that you can build around because he's a winner, man. He’ll find a way to win.”

Yes, you can build on that.

And they can build on this victory.

None more so than Bates, who hit the first game-winning field goal of his NFL career.

It should give him all the confidence in the world going forward.

Actually, this win should give the entire team all the confidence in the world.

It was completely imperfect.

Just as Campbell predicted.

Just like Campbell prepared her for.

“It was a good win,” Campbell said. “I told the team that to say I’m proud of them is a massive understatement.”

Sermon, Dan.

Keep preaching.

Because it continues to work.

Contact Jeff Seidel: [email protected]. Follow him on X @seideljeff. To read his latest columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.

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