Dan Campbell vs Mike Vrabel: A look back at when they faced off as players

When the Detroit Lions take on the New England Patriots in Germany on Sunday, Nov. 15, it will be a head-to-head matchup of former players for their respective teams.

And about 20 years ago, they went head-to-head on the field.

Let's take a little walk down memory lane, back to Dec. 3, 2006, when the 2-9 Lions traveled to face the 9-2 Patriots looking to play spoilers down the stretch.

They were surprisingly in the game late into the fourth quarter and had the ball with a 21-all tie and about 8:30 to go in the game. That's when Dan Campbell, playing tight end in those days, made his lone catch of the day, a 21-yard down the seam. He popped up and showed off that trademark Campbell energy with a boisterous fist pump.

On the next play, though, Mike Vrabel picked off Lions quarterback Jon Kitna. It proved costly, as the Patriots survived, 28-21.

The play before Vrabel's INT, Dan Campbell caught a 21-yard pass on him, despite Vrabel re-routing him up the seam.

It was Campbell's only catch that day. The Pats won 28-21. https://t.co/XAe2gC4Dj0pic.twitter.com/OIR6Li7VXk

— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) November 11, 2026

Campbell and Vrabel won't be thumping shoulder pads in this one, but they'll still face off in a game that's important to both teams. The Lions, of course, are trying to keep pace in the highly competitive NFC North at 6-2, while the Patriots are in danger of seeing their season spiral after a shellacking from the Green Bay Packers sent them to 5-4.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dan Campbell vs Mike Vrabel: A look back at when they faced off as players