“We know we can do better. As a team, we need to execute when it counts. The fourth downs, the timeouts—those are decisions I have to own. It’s on me to make sure we don’t repeat this. We’ll learn from this and come back stronger.”
— Dan Campbell, Head Coach of the Detroit Lions, on his game management and the team’s performance against the Eagles.
The Detroit Lions faced their first real test of adversity in
One of the most glaring issues was Campbell’s
Another decision that raised eyebrows was Campbell’s use of timeouts. As the first half wound down, the Lions had the chance to use their timeouts to set up a potential scoring drive before halftime, but Campbell opted to let the clock run. His reasoning? To gain “another” possession in the second half. This decision seemed out of character for Campbell, known for his aggressive and calculated approach. Unfortunately, the Lions did nothing with the possession they gained after the halftime kickoff, rendering the decision pointless.
For Dan Campbell, this loss marks his first real test of adversity since taking over as head coach. While the Lions had shown significant promise early in the season, this game against the Eagles revealed a
“We know we can do better. As a team, we need to execute when it counts. The fourth downs, the timeouts—those are decisions I have to own. It’s on me to make sure we don’t repeat this. We’ll learn from this and come back stronger.”
— Dan Campbell, on his game management and the team’s performance against the Eagles.
With two crucial games ahead, including a Thanksgiving matchup against Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys
, Campbell must find the right balance between being too aggressive and too conservative. The NFC North race is heating up, and Campbell’s decisions in the coming weeks will be critical in determining if the Lions can stay in the playoff hunt.
The Lions have a few days to reflect on their Week 11 loss, but one thing is clear: Dan Campbell’s aggressive play calling and game management decisions must improve if the Lions are to remain competitive in the tight
The New York Jets may be very much outside of the playoffs, looking in, but that doesn’t mean they’re done adding new pieces to the team.
NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero posted on social media that, “Veteran DT Khalen Saunders is expected to sign with the Jets, per sources. The two-time Super Bowl champion is the latest veteran addition in New York, where Aaron Glenn is working to the build the culture.”
NFL Insider Jordan Schultz shared on social media that the Jets were one of several teams that displayed “strong interest” in Saunders.
The other teams that showed interest, according to Schultz, included the Baltimore Ravens, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Arizona Cardinals.
The former Western Illinois product entered the league as the No. 84 overall pick in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft.
He spent the first four years of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs. During that run, he won two Super Bowls.
After his rookie contract expired, Saunders signed a three-year $14.5 million contract with the New Orleans Saint
In August of 2025, the Saints flipped Saunders to the Jacksonville Jaguars in a rare player-for-player trade in exchange for center Luke Fortner.
NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero shared on social media that the Jaguars waived Saunders on November 13. He cleared waivers and became eligible to sign with any team as an unrestricted free agent.
Saunders has appeared in 70 games and has made 32 starts. With those opportunities, he has registered 6.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, 17 quarterback hits, six pass deflections, and has totaled 184 tackles.
Saunders, 29, also made big waves with the lone interception of his career.
The big man, standing at 6-foot and weighing 324 pounds, went viral on social media after picking off his former teammate, Patrick Mahomes.
In Week 5 of the 2024 season on Monday Night Football, Mahomes tossed a ball into the end zone that got deflected up in the air.
“[It] went off the hands of wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, Sanders snagged the pass one-handed and rumbled out of the end zone for 36 yards before being tripped up,” ESPN’s Katherine Terrell wrote.
“Saunders had to get oxygen on the sideline later. According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, the 324-pound Saunders reached a top speed of 15.79 miles per hour on the return, the third-fastest speed for a ball carrier that size since 2016,” Terrell revealed.
With Quinnen Williams no longer being a part of the equation after the blockbuster trade with the Dallas Cowboys, the Jets need more bodies.
Interestingly, the Jets chose to look for someone in the middle of a lost season. At 2-8, the Jets aren’t making the playoffs.
However, this provides an opportunity for the staff to look at Saunders for the rest of 2025 with the hopes of potentially bringing him back in 2026 if they like what they see the rest of the way.
This was a massive need for the Jets dating back to the offseason, and now they have plugged a hole with a big body.