What Lions Said after 49ers Loss: It's Super Bowl or Bust
Here is a collection of postgame quotes from Detroit Lions players and coaches following the team's 34-31 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.
On how hard it will be to replicate the team's success: "It's hard. I'm a firm believer in, everything's gotta be right. Everybody thinks that it's just talent or it's just coach ability, and the more talent and the better coaches or the more well-known, then you're just automatically gonna be good. And, that's not the truth at all, it's not. Does it help? Yeah, it helps as long as they are compatible and there is a chemistry and there is teamwork, and there is an unselfishness and you leave the egos at home.
"That's hard, it's hard to do that. So, you set it up, well now, it's just gonna look different and it's gotta be right again, it's gotta be right. Some of the players, potentially some of the coaches, man, we've got to start over, and we've got to find the right mix, the right balance. It's gotta be right, because otherwise, I'm a firm believer you don't have a chance. It's not. You will become average quickly."
On balancing being upset about the loss but proud of the team's achievements: "I don't know, and I can probably give you a better answer later in the week. I don't know, it's hard. You're juggling a handful of emotions and knowing that getting this far is an accomplishment, but losing this game is devastating and yeah, it doesn't feel good. You walk off the field, you see them celebrating and knowing the plays to be had out there for us that weren't made, you think, 'Oh, that should be us, celebrating this win.' So, yeah, it's hard. I don't know how to best answer that, but it is hard to juggle both of them. Yeah, they're a great team and so are we. They beat us today, but we've got a lot of great pieces in there and expect to continue to play winning football for quite some time."
On whether the team will be motivated by losing in the NFC Championship: "I think so. That feeling that we all had walking off that field, it sucks. I don't think any of us want to feel that again if we can. I think just the feeling that we've had is enough to motivate us for next year. We had a good year if you look at it as a whole, but it's all for nothing if you don't win the whole thing. Everyone's goal at the start of the year is to win the Super Bowl, and if you don't then you kind of failed the season. Whether you lose here in the NFC Championship or don't make the playoffs, it's all the same so we'll be ready."
The disappointment of Sunday's loss: "It's Super Bowl or bust. That was our mindset this year, even though on the outside people didn't necessarily think that or believe that. But inside our team, that's our standard and that's gonna be our standard going forward."
What changed for the Lions in the second half: "I mean, it just seemed like we had, it just was stuff that, uncharacteristic things to our offense, I would say. A turnover, some drops. And then on the defensive side of the ball, literal bounces not going their way. Unfortunately, that's the margin of error when you're playing in big games like this against good teams."
On how the team can build off its success this season: "It's big, you know, but we're going for it all. And we came up a little short. It's just the name of the game sometimes."
What the team established as its standard this year: "We established a standard of being a tough, gritty team. We're gonna fight, fight, fight til it's over. I feel like that's what we're establishing here, just a tough, gritty team that's just gonna play football all the way through."
On how the loss can serve as motivation: "I can only speak for myself personally right now. This (expletive) on, bro. That's all I've got to say."
On what the team achieved this season: "Yeah, I mean, I think we have a good foundation. I think that Dan and Brad (Holmes) have built this team the right way. A team that's gonna handle adversity, a team that's not gonna back down, that's gonna play confident and play physical. And ultimately, we just have to see if we can sustain it at this point, because that's gonna be the mark of an actual good team. We've done it for a year and a half now, and let's see if we can keep going. We have good pieces, but there's gonna be new guys in here next year. We might have some new coaches, so it's gonna be different. But, I think you just kind of bottle this feeling up, because now we know what it feels like to fall short of our goals, especially being so close. Gotta just try to do it again, I guess."
