Josh Reynolds and Dan Campbell Help Lead Lions to Wild Card Win
The Detroit Lions accomplished something their fan base hadn't seen in 32 years on Sunday night, winning a playoff game over the Los Angeles Rams and advancing to the divisional round.
And two Aggies were at the center of the win, with head coach Dan Campbell and receiver Josh Reynolds each playing a huge role.
It was anything but easy, but for the Lions, it was exactly the kind of hard-nosed, gritty win that they have become accustomed to under Campbell and that he has helped instill into the team during his three-year tenure.
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“The guys hung in there. We won as a team. We did what we needed to, took all three phases, got our special teams involved in the second half. I thought Jack Fox was unbelievable,” Campbell said. “Defensively, we kept them out of the red zone, which was huge. That’s an explosive offense. We knew Stafford was going to be hard to contain. I thought Puka (Nacua), he’s a heck of a receiver. And that defense, man, they were flying around. Aaron Donald, he’s an issue, no matter how many resources you try to put his way.”
While Campbell obviously played a huge role as the head coach, Reynolds was also a critical part of the Lions' success, particularly in the first two quarters, where he helped carry the Lions to an explosive 21-point half.
Reynolds ended the game with five catches for 80 yards, finishing second on the team to Amon-Ra St. Brown. The total matched Reynolds' season-high in yards.
And with the Win, Reynolds and Campbell will now have another opportunity to make history in Detroit - advance to an NFC Champions Game - something the franchise has not done since 1957.
