Some weeks in the NFL headlines can focus on injuries, coaching vacancies, or off-field antics. But other weeks, like this one, will focus squarely on what’s going on between the lines.
All season, I have been Lions HC Dan Campbell’s biggest detractor. Let’s not forget that he was a one-and-done coach in 2015 for the Miami Dolphins. It took six years before the Lions gave him a second chance, which also began with a rocky start. In 2021, the team went 3-13-1, and in 2022, the team started the season dreadfully but managed to finish strong, ending the year above .500, going 9-8. Last season, they went 12-5 and were one step away from going to the Superbowl…something the city of Detroit has never seen.
This season, the city of Detroit is the center of the football universe, and Dan Campbell is the toast of the town. He’s also the frontrunner to win Coach of the Year. After Thursday’s victory against the Green Bay Packers in Detroit, the Lions are now 12-1 and have clinched a playoff spot. Although they haven’t clinched their division yet, they look unbeatable at the moment.
If You Can’t Beat Em, Join Em:
As I said, I’ve been one of Campbell’s biggest detractors, and I have felt all year that a decision he makes in-game will cost them in a big spot. I thought that day was Thursday when,n in the second half of a tight back-and-forth matchup, he decided to go for it on 4th and 1 on HIS OWN 31-yard line instead of safely punting the ball away. Campbell doesn’t do anything safely.
Late in the third quarter, Campbell decided to go for it. The sweep handoff failed, giving the Packers great field position. Ultimately, a TD put them ahead 24-21. Before that, the Lions were three for three on fourth-down conversions.
Later in the game, on Detroit’s last possession, and with the game now tied 31-31, Campbell rolled the dice again. On another 4th and 1 (does Detroit ever not have a 4th and 1 situation?), with 43 seconds left on the clock, Campbell could have made the easy decision to trot out his kicker to go for a 42-yard FG.
That would have almost sealed the deal. But Campbell doesn’t like almost, especially with a chance to close out the game. He opted to go for it, effectively keeping the ball out of Jordan Love’s hand. The decision worked; they gained seven yds on a David Montgomery run and subsequently took the clock down to a couple of seconds. A successful 35-yard FG with zeros on the clock gave the Lions the 34-31 win.
I am now officially a true believer and disciple of Campbell’s brand of football. It is exciting, it is daring. In a world of people who play, not to lose, he plays to win…100% of the time. And yes, it still could cost them a game, as it could have on Thursday…but the thing is, it didn’t, and it hasn’t for awhile. His aggressiveness and attitude seeps throughout his locker room to all of his players. They are a true reflection of him, and would go through a wall for him. And he would bleed for them too.
If you Googled “the quintessential Dan Campbell game,” this would pop up. Campbell is unapologetically aggressive. It is in his DNA. From wanting to bite kneecaps to always going for it when the analysts say he shouldn’t, he is playing his own brand of football.
It is crossing sports, but he is creating his own type of football, and in a league that constantly copycats one another, it will only be a matter of time before other teams follow suit. It is similar to Paul Westhead and Pat Riley’s Showtime brand of basketball, Billy Martin’s brand of baseball, which was dubbed Billy-Ball, and then Billy Bean’s Moneyball. Make no mistake about it; Campbell is changing the game.
And yes, I still suppose that a Dan Campbell decision could cost his team a big game. But how many games has he won, and will he continue to win by making those same decisions? They are now 12-1…he is doing something right.