Getty DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 09: Head coach Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions looks on during the first half against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field on January 09, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
It’s been a while since the Detroit Lions had a coach worthy of lofty praise, but in Dan Campbell, the team seems to have a boss they can build around and have faith in for the future.
For that reason, the Lions need to find a way to keep Campbell happy and in the mix for the long-term. That’s according to a new piece by Bleacher Report breaking down what the Lions can do to continue the trajectory of their rebuild.
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Writer Alex Kay provided a plan for every rebuilding team, and when it came to Detroit, perhaps the most important nugget revolved around Campbell. Kay seems to like the coach and what he can do in the Motor City, and for that reason, he’s begging the franchise to do him right in the future.
“The Lions seem to have struck gold with the hiring of former tight end Dan Campbell as their head coach. The team now needs to keep him happy, ensuring he sticks around to see the rebuilding process through into a contending era. While his first-year record may not jump off the page as a top coach in the making, Campbell maximized the limited talents of the roster he inherited last year. More importantly, he’s created a culture of hard work that players are buying into, a refreshing change after the Matt Patricia era came to a merciful end following two-and-a-half trying seasons,” Kay wrote in-part in the piece.
Kay is spot on in saying that Campbell has rebooted Detroit’s culture in a major way, and that is perhaps his biggest positive. Now, the Lions seem to have the right ingredients toward building a winner that could be sustained long-term.
Given Campbell’s love of Detroit, the team might not have to work that hard to keep him happy, but the point stands that the Lions have to do all they can to build a winner in order to keep him happy and encouraged about the team’s future direction.
PFF Wasn’t Huge Fan of Campbell’s Debut Season
While some love what Campbell has done in Detroit, not everyone is so sure he is a slam-dunk answer for the future. Recently, Pro Football Focus and writer Conor McQuiston ranked head coaches in the league before the 2022 season in terms of analytics. As expected, Campbell was not within the top five or even the top 10. The coach was nestled way far back in the 23 spot and the “room for improvement” category for this coming season, and the analyst might not see a fast way out for the coach given the roster he is working with.
“While Campbell is just one season into his head coaching tenure with a roster lacking talent, it is difficult to have an optimistic view of his performance,” McQuiston wrote in the piece.
Obviously, the Lions have struggled thanks to their roster, which has been the bad news. The hope is the coach can get more out of his roster as he moves on in his career, especially starting in 2022.
Analytically speaking, Campbell still hasn’t been that impressive in the mind of PFF. Whether he can pull himself out of this remains to be seen, but it’s clear the sentiments elsewhere might not completely agree with the conclusions of this piece.
Breaking Down Campbell’s First Year in Detroit
While Campbell might seem like a joke to some in the league, it’s clear he is bent on building a winner for the Lions. Last season, Campbell did live up to his promise bit by bit of changing the momentum in the Motor City. The Lions were one of the toughest teams in the league during the 2021 season, even if it did not translate into immediate wins. Detroit was in nearly every game that was played and never backed down. They managed to do this in spite of multiple players being lost due to injury as well as illness outbreaks late in the season. With this in mind, it seems a minor miracle that the Lions beat Minnesota and Arizona, a pair of teams that were in playoff race as well as tying Pittsburgh, a team that ended up in the AFC postseason. In the end, it was an obvious testament to the toughness Campbell preached about on his first day.
Offensively and defensively, there is still much to work out with the roster in terms of improvements and depth, but Campbell did a decent job to managed things overall. He was an aggressive coach on fourth-down, and looks to be an innovator in terms of decision making in those moments. Campbell also rolled the dice appropriately with a multitude of fake punts and onside kicks, showing his vigorous side. When he took over play calling, the offense seemed to improve in a tangible way.
Overall, it was a solid start for Campbell as it relates to laying a foundation. Now, he will have to start building the house. As some believe, the pressure is on the Lions to support him and help him get this done into the future.
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