The Washington Commanders are all set to play the divisional round after crushing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild-card round. What a narrow win it was! They must be celebrating, huh? But red alert here. The next team they are going to face is Dan Campbell‘s Lions, who have tremendous confidence after making it directly to the divisional round. But before the Lions’ pride comes on the gridiron, Campbell has sent a strong message to his locker room.

Before the game at Ford Field, Campbell faced the media on Jan 13. When reporters asked him about the expectations from the team, he replied confidently, saying, “No, I don’t [have expectations]. See, you put that into words like… No!” The Super Bowl winner head coach further added, “I don’t think ‘we are the no. 1 seed and if we don’t succeed then…’ I never think like that.” Not just that. Campbell had some kind words for his opponents as well.

Campbell added, “To me, I look at it as like… I know who we are. I know what we are about. Also, I know how we have to prepare. I respect the opponent. And now it’s time to go to work. That’s how I look at it. I don’t look at anything else.” Well, the Detroit Lions should. They have a great offense. Though Campbell is confident in his skills and all, here is a catch!

The Washington Commanders are very good at making you fumble. That’s what people saw in the Tampa Bay game. In fact, Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield has already sent a clear message to the Lions regarding the upcoming game. The commanders have great special team members who can deliver under pressure. So, if the Lions have made it to the divisional round this year again, they should buckle up.

But amid the super-pressurized conditions, Dan Campbell hasn’t forgotten to respect and share good words about the Commanders’ wild card success.

Dan Campbell gave respect to Dan Quinn and the Commanders 

The Lions and Commanders share a great rivalry, and they know what the other team is capable of. So, when asked about the Commanders’ success with head coach Dan Quinn, Dan Campbell respected the team. Campbell said, “I have a lot of respect for Dan Quinn. I know Dan… from afar, I know him. But it’s not like we hang out on a daily basis and talk. But I’ve known him for a while.” That’s humble.

The Lions HC further added, “Certainly, when he was at Atlanta, you know, having a play him twice a year. I mean, those guys, you gain a high level of respect for what they do.” And continued, “You know, his team always gonna be competitive.” And that’s absolutely right!

Dan Quinn has successfully helped the team to enter the playoffs in his first year. The last time the Commanders entered the playoffs was in the 2020 season but they were thrown out of the wild-card round. But this time they made it. And if we only talk about how great Dan Quinn is, several head coaches in the NFL have worked as his assistant during their coaching job. Dan Quinn’s past assistants who later became HC, include Matt LaFleur (the Packers), Kyle Shanahan (the 49ers), and Mike McDaniel of the Miami Dolphins.

So, the opponent team of Dan Campbell’s Lions is fully star-studded, which includes players like Jayden Daniels. The Lions had won their last year’s divisional round and hoped they would repeat it.