The 2025 NFL season for the Detroit Lions came to a disappointing close on Sunday night despite picking up their second win of the campaign over the rival Chicago Bears and former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
The win, which improved Detroit’s record to 9-8, didn’t do anything to change their ultimate fortune of not being a playoff team, which was decided after their devastating loss on Christmas Day to the Minnesota Vikings.
It was a whirlwind season for the Lions coaching staff, who lost both Johnson to the Bears along with defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to the New York Jets; their replacements in John Morton and Kelvin Sheppard didn’t exactly impress in their first year in the Motor City.
But as far as how head coach Dan Campbell would grade his own performance, he didn’t mince words.
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Detroit Lions Coach Dan Campbell Gave Himself A Failing Grade In His 2025 Self-Assessment
In the words of Campbell during his season-ending press conference at the team’s official practice facility in Allen Park on Monday afternoon, the grizzled head coach said that he’d fail himself.
“Not good enough. We didn’t get in. We underachieved,” Campbell said. “So, not good. I’d give myself a freaking F.”
Campbell also acknowledged that the failure to not only defend their consecutive NFC North Division titles but to return to the postseason was a very bitter pill to swallow for the entire organization.
“It’s hard to believe that this is it,” Campbell said. “It’s going to be a hard pill to swallow watching these teams in the playoffs. But I think you’ve got to watch them. You’ve got to force yourself to do it because that’s a drive to want to be there, be a part of it.”
Campbell, who took away the play calling duties from Morton and assumed the responsibilities himself in Week 10, said that he’d be open to “anything” in terms of personnel changes in the offseason.
“I’m open to anything, I don’t exactly know where I am at with that yet,” Campbell revealed. “One of the things, I guess, one of the good things if I did do that, you don’t have to worry about someone else leaving, you know? You don’t have to worry about your play-caller leaving, so that would be one of the perks of it.
“But listen, I am going to think through all of that. I want to do what I think is best for the team, that included,” he said. “If I believe that is what is best for us, and I feel good about it, then I will. If I feel like ‘Ahh, I don’t know,’ I won’t do it, you know?”
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The Lions Were Dethroned Atop The NFC North Division by Ben Johnson And The Bears
Johnson, who jumped ship within Detroit’s division to join the rival Bears, managed to lead them to their first playoff appearance in several years while also guiding them to their first divisional win since 2018.
Johnson and the Bears, despite their second loss to the Lions in the 2025 season, are now preparing to host the Green Bay Packers in the NFL Wild Card postseason round on Saturday evening in Chicago.
It brought an end to what was a two-year reign atop the division for the Lions, their first consecutive divisional wins since 1993 and 1994.
Dan Campbell’s Brutally Honest Self-Assessment Gives Lions Critics Plenty to Chew On