Getty Dan Campbell reacts on the field during the Lions-Bears game in 2021.
The Detroit Lions are struggling this season, and are still looking for their first win in Week 13, so that’s led to some definite frustration both from inside and outside the team’s fanbase.
As would be expected, there is some major heat that has been hitting Campbell for the way his team has played and some of the decisions he has made as a coach. Even though that is the case, nothing seems to bother Campbell about the way things have gone so far.
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Speaking to the media on Monday, November 29, Campbell was asked about some of the critical comments that have been swirling around. As he said, he hasn’t heard them because he has been tuning them out. Even though that’s the case, the coach understands that things have been swirling.
“I’m not aware just because I don’t read good or bad because I think it will sway you one way or another if you are not careful and neither one of them is good,” Campbell said. “To stay where you feel, what you see, what your team tells you, your coaches. Just kind of living in this world if you will. That being said, I get the texts and calls. ‘Hey man hang in there.’ The more that I get, the more I know there is chatter out there otherwise I wouldn’t be getting all these calls out of the blue or these texts.”
While Campbell’s job may not be in direct jeopardy right now, the court of public opinion has been offering some scathing takes during some recent games. Campbell didn’t have the best execution down the stretch on Thanksgiving Day, and his offense has left a lot to be desired after he publicly took over the play calling. As a result, more heat has been coming his way than in the recent past this season.
Campbell Doesn’t Blame Anyone for Criticism
How does Campbell react to some of the hot takes that are circulating? Not angrily, that’s for sure. In fact, when speaking to the media, the coach seemed to empathize with fans and others who were calling him out, saying that not winning a game leaves him as fair game for those discussions.
“You don’t win a game, you should be getting criticized. I don’t blame anybody for that. That’s the reality of that right now. I would love to be able to say there is something I can tell everybody that’s going to make them feel better. As you guys know, it’s about winning and we haven’t done that yet,” Campbell told the media matter-of-factly.
The fact that Campbell doesn’t shy away from taking the heat already shows he could be the right man for the job. The Lions coaching job comes with plenty of pressures, and even during a tough season, Campbell has not cracked a bit.
Campbell’s Future With Lions Likely Stable
Despite many folks calling for Campbell’s dismissal in recent days or questioning his decision making, the Lions aren’t likely to fire their first-year head coach no matter how big an embarrassment this game was on a national stage. Campbell has a five-year contract and the team knows the situation is a rebuild for the Lions in a big way. As a result, it would be stunning if the team were to make a panic move and fire Campbell no matter how the season finishes or what plays out. The team is more likely to stick with Campbell now and try to build around him for the future given everything that has gone on with the roster and the franchise.
Even though that is the case, it’s impossible to hide from the ugly way this game ended in Detroit.
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