After a season in which the Lions were the NFL’s best team for most of the year, they were bounced out of the playoffs by an underdog Commanders team. And Lions coach Dan Campbell said the team that deserved to win won.

“They earned that win and we didn’t,” Campbell said.

The Lions went 15-2 and had one of their best seasons in franchise history, but Campbell said after the game that it’s hard to take any solace in that.

“After all this, the loss today, I love the guys and I respect them and I appreciate everything they’ve put into it,” Campbell said. “But it’s not the time to talk about what a great year or how many wins. Because at this moment I don’t think any of us feel that way. The whole point of doing what you do is to get to the show. That’s why you play this game. And we fell short.”

Campbell said he points the finger at himself: “At the end of the day, I didn’t have them ready.”