The Detroit Lions got back in the win column on Sunday, but one NFL insider believes a much larger question still hangs over Dan Campbell and his team.
Detroit improved to 2-1 with a 31-24 victory over Aaron Glenn and the New York Jets on September 27, getting 164 total yards and three touchdowns from Jahmyr Gibbs. The Lions now head to Carolina for a Week 4 matchup with the Panthers on October 4.
But former CBS Sports NFL insider Jason La Canfora is questioning whether Campbell has been able to recreate the identity that made Detroit one of the NFC’s most dangerous teams before offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Glenn left the organization.
In an analysis for Casino.ca, La Canfora cited one NFL executive who raised a particularly pointed concern about the Lions’ head coach.
“Now they’ve forced Campbell to kind of try to be something he’s not and it’s not working,” the executive told La Canfora.
That assessment comes despite Detroit’s winning record through three games and its bounce-back victory over New York.
Dan Campbell’s Record Without Ben Johnson Draws Attention
Perhaps the most striking number behind the criticism is Campbell’s record with and without Johnson on his coaching staff.
The Lions went 36-15 with Johnson on Campbell’s staff, compared with a 13-22-1 mark without him, according to La Canfora’s analysis. That same split has also been cited elsewhere amid growing scrutiny of Detroit’s post-Johnson era.
Johnson rose from Detroit’s offensive staff to become Campbell’s offensive coordinator in 2022 before eventually leaving to become head coach of the Chicago Bears.
The difference does not necessarily mean Johnson was solely responsible for Detroit’s previous success. Campbell remains the head coach who oversaw the franchise’s turnaround, while the Lions also dealt with substantial personnel changes after Johnson’s departure.
Still, the numbers give La Canfora’s question some weight: Can Campbell maintain the same standard without the two coordinators who became such significant pieces of Detroit’s rise?
Lions Showing Early Warning Signs on Both Sides of Ball
La Canfora also pointed to Detroit’s uneven start to the season.
Through the first two games, the Lions had allowed seven plays of at least 25 yards while generating only two such plays offensively, according to his analysis. Detroit had also committed 18 penalties.
The defense came under especially heavy scrutiny after the Lions surrendered 41 points to the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. Campbell publicly backed defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard afterward, calling him an “outstanding coach” while acknowledging that Detroit needed to make corrections.
Sunday offered at least some evidence of progress.
Detroit held the Jets to 58 rushing yards and forced the game’s only turnover while Gibbs powered an offense that accumulated 381 total yards. The Lions also responded after New York erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit, with Jared Goff finding Gibbs for the go-ahead touchdown with 2:25 remaining.
Campbell praised the improvement afterward and said the Lions’ defense was “much, much improved” in the victory.
Lions Have Chance to Quiet Concerns Against Panthers
Detroit now gets another opportunity to show that Sunday’s win was more than a temporary response.
The Lions travel to face the Carolina Panthers on Sunday Night Football in Week 4 before visiting the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5.
Campbell’s team is already 2-1, so La Canfora’s criticism is less about Detroit’s immediate record than whether the Lions can reestablish the consistency and identity they displayed when Johnson and Glenn were coordinating the offense and defense.
Sunday’s win over Glenn’s Jets was a useful first answer.
What happens over the coming weeks may provide a much clearer one.
NFL Insider Raises Major Dan Campbell Question After Lions Win