After watching his Denver Broncos side comprehensively beaten by the Detroit Lions, head coach Sean Payton was full of praise for his opposite number, Dan Campbell. Their visit to Michigan was a fruitless one as they ran out losers in a 42-17 contest that left them 7-7 for the season.
The win for the Lions continues their fine season as they now sit with a pretty 10-4 record, and Detroit fans looking to back their team with a wager may want to peruse these useful insights into the best sportsbooks in Michigan to locate those that best serve their chances of an increased payout.
It is not all that common for defeated coaches to be so magnanimous after a defeat, but Payton certainly managed to be just that.
59-year-old Payton was glowing in his overview of the Lions’s win, stating,
“We tip our hats to Detroit. They kind of kicked our butts tonight,”
“They outplayed us. They outcoached us. There wasn’t a lot positive for us in that game. I thought those guys did a real good job in the red (zone) area, third down, really in all phases. So, frustrating night. It’s tough to have one of these nights.”
Their place in the playoffs secured, Campbell has now set his sights on the divisional title,
“We came into this season to win the division,” he said Monday. “That was the goal and that’s still our focus. If something happens between now and then to get us a playoff spot, that’s all good. But we talked about that this morning as a team. That was the focus at the beginning of the season and that’s still the focus.”
The Lions are now three games clear of their divisional rivals, but Campbell still sees room for improvement.
“Our first three drives have to be better, but the defense got us some stops and we got going,” Campbell said. “We ended up scoring six touchdowns to their two, we outrushed them 185-83, and we won the takeaway battle by getting the fumble from Russell (Wilson) and not giving it away.”
“We also had 13 explosive (plays) to their six, so we doubled them up. Those are all significant wins.”
They now prepare to take on Minnesota twice in the space of three weeks and Campbell has instructed his team to be wary.
“We know they are a very dangerous team, but we haven’t seen them since last season, and honestly, they are a different team than they were then,” Campbell said. “The personnel is different and the scheme is different. This is entirely new, so we have to put together the best possible game plan.”
The Vikings are 7-7, a record that might have been so much better had Kevin O’Connell’s side not lost four of their first five games of the season. They lost out to the Cincinnati Bengals in Game Week 15, going down 27-24 in overtime.
