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The Detroit Lions have endured a frustrating start to the 2022 season, and while the team’s defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is facing the heat, one notable presence is not.
Dan Campbell has avoided his share of the blame to this point in the eyes of the media, and that’s spellbinding according to a former Detroit columnist. Terry Foster of Woodward Sports has watched what has played out, and is mystified that fans are giving Campbell a pass so far.
As Foster contended in a piece, Campbell should be feeling a lot more heat for what has gone on thus far with his team and the losses they have sustained, especially since Campbell was the one who hired his coordinators in the first place.
“Why is there no heat on head coach Dan Campbell? Why no heat from the guy who hired offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn and Glenn? Why does the public not talk about Campbell’s job security after guiding the Lions to a 4-16-1 record in 21 games?,” Foster wrote in the piece.
Record-wise, Foster pointed out that Campbell has been worse off than a couple other failed coaches and general managers, as well.
“Campbell’s win percentage (.214) is below that of Matt Millen (.242) when he served as team president and general manager and the failed Quinntricia era (.313). Yet this man walks up to the podium each week a hero although he wins one out of every five games,” he said.
It’s a very valid point by Foster, and the only potential rebuttal is fans likely view Campbell in a positive light given some of the press conference antics he has presided over as well as his positive outlook for the team. They likely see Detroit as involved within a major rebuild, and are cutting Campbell some slack.
If the Lions keep losing, Campbell will get his share of the heat, especially if he is the reason the team blows games, as he was partially in Week 3. Right now, though, most folks are not lumping him in with some of the other failures going on around him.
Aaron Glenn Generating Major Heat
Just one year after Campbell’s first offensive coordinator fizzled, his defense is trending in the wrong direction as well.
So far this season, Detroit’s defense sits 30th in pass defense through four weeks of the season, allowing 279.3 yards per-game on average. They have also allowed seven touchdowns this year, and have a long catch allowed of 54 total yards. The Lions are also ranked 30th in rush defense so far this season, allowing 165.5 yards per-game and an awful 10 touchdowns.
As a whole, the Lions have given up 448 yards per-game and sit 32nd in total defense after allowing 1,779 total yards so far, good for dead last in the league.
Given Glenn is the coordinator and has been responsible for the scheme, he’s the one receiving most of the blame so far for the mess. Frankly, that’s justified given the group’s inability to improve even incrementally this season.
Glenn has to find a way to get his group turned around the rest of the way, or he’s likely to remain on the hot-seat with the fanbase.
Assessing Campbell’s First Season With Lions
Though the record has yet to match some of the hype, 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. 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 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 in the years ahead, but Campbell has been alright overall. He is 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. When he took over play calling, the offense seemed to improve in a tangible way, especially with Ben Johnson.
Overall, 2021 was a solid start for Campbell as it relates to laying a foundation. Foster is right to proclaim he will need some wins to validate his program in 2022, however.
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