This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning. Here’s Mike Sykes.
Man. It seems like just yesterday we were all making fun of Dan Campbell for talking knee-biting.
Ain’t no making fun of him now, though. The joke is on all of us who were laughing after that first press conference. Because, here we are just two years later, and all of the bravado and machismo that brought us that ridiculously strange quote has worked. The game the Lions just won against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs is proof.
It just feels like this team has a belief in itself that didn’t exist before. It couldn’t. Why? Just look at the team’s history, man.
I was not alive the last time this team won a playoff game in 1991. Detroit has experienced failure after failure after failure. They fumbled Calvin Johnson’s career. They fumbled Barry Sanders’ career. Matt Stafford left the team and won a Super Bowl. It’s just been a snakebite spot.
Enter Dan Campbell, who initially just feels like more of the same. He talks loud. He says a lot. But early, it felt like all bark and no bite. Just another guy who swears he’s going to fix things in Detroit … by biting kneecaps. I’m sorry. I had to.
Today, we see the results. And, indeed, Campbell is backing up all of his talk.
The Lions started the year 1-6 last season but went on to win eight of their last 10 games to nearly make the playoffs. Here we are today with the Lions winning the first game of the season on national television against one of the best quarterbacks ever.
Dan Campbell is cookin’, y’all. This dude is effective. The Lions had one of the best offenses in the NFL last season behind his coaching but the defense was trash. To start this year off, that defense locked up the Chiefs and got a pick-six on Patrick Mahomes. Sure, he was missing a key weapon in Travis Kelce. But still! That’s impressive.
RELATED: These Lions aren’t contenders, but they’re still not the same old Lions you knew.
But it’s not just his schemes. It’s not just the numbers. He’s got these guys believing. He has them ready to run through a wall for him. I might be ready to do the same. Campbell is that infectious.
I mean, just look at this postgame speech to the Lions. I guarantee you’ll be right here with me after you do.
Built for this. pic.twitter.com/UHg5OZTgsO
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) September 8, 2023
“I told you guys, we’re built for this s***. We can overcome anything as long as you guys just f******* hang with it. We got a ton to clean up when we get back. But until then, enjoy this.”
That’s it. That’s it right there, man. That’s why Dan Campbell works. He believes. And he makes his players do the same. It’s so easy to root for that.
Patrick Mahomes is an actual wizard, dude
That’s the only way to explain what happened on Thursday night with the Chiefs.
Yes, they absolutely lost. Their offense looked dreadful in the second half. But it wasn’t because of a lack of effort on Mahomes’ part, as FTW’s Christian D’Andrea writes.
Mahomes can’t do it on his own but he certainly looked like a genius while trying.
“At his best, Mahomes shined as the star in the middle of a solar system filled solely by asteroids and dwarf planets. It was a display of wizardry most 17th century scholars would have chalked up to heresy. On one second quarter drive, Mahomes targeted these players, in order: Rasheen Rice, Richie James, Rice, Noah Gray, Marquez Valdez-Scantling, Justin Watson, Blake Bell.
He completed six of seven passes for 98 yards (the pass to Gray didn’t count due to penalty) and a touchdown. That’s witchcraft.”
Witchcraft, wizardry, Nightsister magick (shoutout to Ahsoka). Call it whatever you want, man. The dude did all he could.
The Chiefs clearly have some issues moving forward. Mahomes went 2-12 with an interception while targeting receivers on Thursday night, per ESPN. Four of those targets were dropped passes. One of them led to a pick-six.
Without Travis Kelce in the lineup, Mahomes is missing a reliable target. He could be out for the next couple of weeks with a bone bruise. Kansas City needs someone to step up. Who will it be? No idea. But they’ll need to figure that out.
READ MORE: The Lions beat the Chiefs and proved Patrick Mahomes can’t do it on his own.
While you were obsessed with football
Coco Gauff made it to her very first Grand Slam final in the US Open after beating Karolina Muchova in what might have been the best match of the tournament so far.
Gauff beat Muchova in straight sets, but neither were easy. Gauff dug the first set out and won 6-4. In the second set, though, Muchova just wouldn’t go away. She staved off five match points from Gauff before falling on the sixth after a 40-shot (!!!) rally between the two of them.
coco gauff could run a 100m in 9.58 but usain bolt could never win a 40-shot rally in arthur ashe stadium pic.twitter.com/ylVm8rOJI4
— pegauff north american double era (@gauffcfan) September 8, 2023
We were also so close to an all-American US Open final on the WTP side at the tournament. Madison Keys had Aryna Sabalenka down 6-0, 5-3 in the semifinal match between then. But the world’s No. 2 player in the WTP showed us why she’s exactly that. She won the second set 7-6 and did the same for the final.
Madison Keys walks over to Aryna Sabalenka’s side of the net to give her a hug after the match.
After leading 6-0, 5-3.. she must be shattered.
It’s not easy to be this graceful & kind after a loss.
Well done, Madi. 🥹❤️ pic.twitter.com/kqbxpXAoiT
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 8, 2023
Gauff and Sabalenka will play in the US Open Finals on Saturday. It’ll be an incredible match, to be sure. Don’t miss it.
Quick Hits: Don’t say Chris Jones didn’t show up … A terrible 3rd-and-1 playcall … and more
— Chris Jones might still be a holdout for the Chiefs, but the dude at least showed up to Thursday night’s game to sit in the stands. Was it awkward? Sure. But at least you know he loves his teammates. Robert Zeglinski has more.
— Speaking of the Chiefs, what in the world was this 3rd-and-1 playcall, Matt Nagy? Fans roasted him for this one. Cory Woodruff has more.
—We ranked the 14 best rappers of all time and somehow MF Doom made the list. No, I’m not salty at all.
— Charles Curtis has you covered on the College Gameday travel plans for the weekend. Enjoy.
That’s all, folks. Happy Friday. Be well!
