Lions turn Jack Campbell neck injury into 'play like 46' rallying cry after Vikings win

Detroit Lions linebacker and captain Jack Campbell collapsed on the Ford Field turf in Detroit during the game against the Minnesota Vikings with a neck injury. Defensive teammates wiped away tears as he lay motionless, the coaching staff said.

Four days later, Campbell gave a mostly positive report, announcing he has lower body movement while acknowledging challenges ahead.

After the gritty win over the Vikings, head coach Dan Campbell and quarterback Jared Goff addressed losing Jack Campbell and broke down how Detroit pulled out the division victory.

Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said on Thursday that players cannot simply walk back in as if nothing happened after seeing that happen to anyone, let alone a player of Campbell's stature, makeup and heart. The theme, he said, has been to prepare and play like 46 every day — 46 being Campbell's number.

Sheppard said a key fourth-down call he made toward the end of Sunday's game was a blitz against the Vikings, which is not typical for the Lions. His message to players then was that they were about to do this for 46.

He said he wakes up thinking what 46 would want him to do that day, and that Campbell would not want teammates to sulk or cry about him.

Sheppard did not deny the emotions players felt while Campbell was placed on an immobilization board and carted off the field. But the NFL season has not stopped, and the Lions' season continues.

Sheppard is asking his defensive players to accept something horrible, acknowledge it, and turn it into a tool. That, he repeated, is the theme for the week.