Glendale, Ariz. — Here’s what I learned bouncing around the Detroit Lions’ locker room following the team’s 45-21 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Special postgame message
It was an emotional weekend surrounding the Lions following the passing of play-by-play voice Dan Miller’s wife, Cindy, over the weekend.
Jason Benetti stepped if for Miller for the radio call on Sunday, announcing the sad news to listeners before the game.
"Our thoughts are with Dan right now, all weekend, and for the future, with the loss of his wife of 33 years, Cindy, a couple of days ago," Benetti said ahead of kickoff. "Dan is one of the most remarkable people I have met in my time in Detroit. One of the most sincere human beings you can possibly dream of. A fantastic voice of the Lions for more than two decades."
Benetti shared that he received a text from Miller on Saturday: "Go call a win."
That’s exactly what Benetti did, then an emotional Dan Campbell took the podium after the game with a ball in hand.
“Let's start with this, this ball goes to Dan Miller and his family,” Campbell said, choking on his words. “It was hard to hear what they went through. I know it's been a tough road for Dan. It's for him. Salt of the Earth, man. Dan is salt of the Earth. I know this has been hard. But now I know Cindy's at peace. We love you, Dan. Appreciate you.”
Injury updates
Detroit’s victory didn’t come without some loss. The team saw two players go down with injuries that will sideline them for a significant stretch, and in the case of linebacker Devin White, potentially the remainder of the season.