Getty Dan Campbell looks on during a Lions game in 2021.
The Detroit Lions haven’t played well this season, and the frustration on the field has led to some commentary about how the team is performing in between the lines.
Following a frustrating loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, coach Dan Campbell shared some pointed comments about the performance of quarterback Jared Goff to the media. According to some, that might have been a mistake by the coach considering players and coaches usually tend to have privileged conversations such as this one behind the scenes.
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NFL Hall of Fame wideout Cris Carter went on Good Morning Football on NFL Network and spoke about the situation. Clearly, he was not pleased with how it was handled from the coaching side of things as a former player in the league.
“This is not the way you’re supposed to do it.”
@criscarter80 reacts to Dan Campbell’s comments on Jared Goff and shares his different player-coach relationships over the years.
“I made contact with a few of my friends in the league wondering if they had ever seen anything like what Dan Campbell did. They were very, very surprised that a coach called out a player, because the thing about NFL locker rooms is, there’s a lot of secrets. But one thing we’re all sworn to is, we’re going to keep this like family business,” Carter said. “You talk about family business at home but you don’t take it into the streets. The players, we always feel like the coach is going to protect us. Now I know there’s been some great relationships through the years in football where coaches they feel they’ve been mentors and led people to playing beyond through rough love. But there’s also a trust factor because every day that athlete shows up, he’s got to trust those coaches are going to do what’s absolutely best. I can guarantee you Jared Goff and his teammates, they’re questioning, ‘is this guy going to best out of my ability?'”
As Carter went on to say citing examples, he believes certain conversations are privileged between coaches and players and better left unsaid in the public and behind closed doors. This Goff situation is one that would qualify in his mind.
Campbell Feels ‘Goff Needs to Step Up’
Detroit only put up 228 yards and 11 total points in the loss against Cincinnati, and it’s becoming quite clear the team is trending in the wrong direction this season on that side of the ball. With this in mind, Campbell has some ideas of what has to happen for things to turn around, and he looked right at his quarterback first and foremost.
Following the ugly 34-11 defeat, Campbell spoke to the media on October 17, and was asked about his quarterback. While he said judging Goff is difficult, he does want to see him start to do more on the field and make more things happen for the team.
“I will say this, I still don’t feel like we can accurately judge him one way or another. I don’t feel that way yet. Now, I will say this. I feel like he needs to step up more than he has,” Campbell told the media. “I think he needs to help us, you know, just like everybody else. I think he’s going to need to put a little bit of weight on his shoulders here, and it’s time to step up, make some throws, and do some things. But he needs help. Look, I told him out there, some of that stuff, we’re getting holding calls, it’s because he’s drifting that pocket 10 yards deep so it’s not fair to those guys either. This is a collective effort now, so it goes hand in hand. But I want to see him step up. I do. Because I think he can do it.”
Coming into this season, most folks realized the adjustment to Detroit for Goff would take time, and given the injuries that have played out around him, that is even more the case. It’s clear the Lions are going to remain patient, but it’s more than interesting to see Campbell hitting Goff with a bit of pointed criticism after this week’s performance.
Goff Takes Own Accountability for Struggles
Campbell’s choice words for Goff didn’t seem to do anything to faze the quarterback. As he told the media after the game, Goff said that he thinks he is also capable of more on the field as well..
“I think I can always do more,” Goff told the media. “You’re never in a position where you’re complacent and of course we’re nowhere near that, but I think I’ve got some experiences to rely on that I can relay to these guys and do my best to be the best leader I can be and continue to try to find the open guy and get him the ball and take care of the football and do my job every day.”
While Carter thinks Campbell’s handling of the situation was a possible mistake, it’s clear coach and player could be on the same wavelength in this situation.
READ NEXT: Why Lions Won’t Bench Jared Goff According to NFL Insider
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Hall of Famer Calls out Dan Campbell Over Public Jared Goff Criticism