Dan Campbell: A new way and a bright future in Detroit

In 2021 the Detroit Lions made a move which caught a lot of attention. That move was to make their former tight end Dan Campbell their Head Coach. 

Campbell had a successful career in the NFL where he was mainly known for his quality as a blocking Tight End. After his playing career came to an end, he became the TE’s coach in Miami. He also saw a stint there as the interim head coach for the Dolphins, before leaving in 2015 to move to the New Orleans Saints.

From 2016 to 2020 Campbell gained valuable experience as the Saints assistant HC and as the teams TE’s coach. This period saw him make considerable contributions to each team and franchise he was with, but it is also where he spent time taking in everything he could, knowing that at some point in the future he would have the chance to become the leader himself. 

One of the biggest qualities I see in Campbell is his authenticity. He doesn’t necessarily fit the mould of a NFL HC, but he doesn’t care and nor should he. He is creating a whole new identity for head coaches, he is raw, emotional, creative and tough. He doesn’t fit much of the criteria that many would have for a HC, yet he looks for all purposes, like a man who is set to have an extremely fruitful career as a HC.

If you watch Campbell’s interviews you immediately see the difference in how he conducts himself, he doesn’t beat around the bush with his answers and he certainly doesn’t mince his words. I’d encourage everyone to go and search Dan Campbell’s quotes. You will quickly realise that this guy is unique and also a breath of fresh air. It’s also often funny, but only he can pull it off. 

2021 was a challenging campaign that finished with a losing record for Campbell’s Lions, but 2022 is where this ride got interesting. The Lions entered the season with really not much expectation, but that was about to change. They finished with a 9-8 winning record and put the league on notice. Their offense throughout that season showed a creativity and intensity that embodies their HC’s spirit.

The first half of the 2022 season could have been so much more, but the Lions defense just couldn’t match the performances and output that their offense was putting up each week. In the second half of the season the defense clicked, they started to show up in games and this Lions side slowly but surely, started to make some noise. Teams weren’t just turning up thinking they had a win notched up, they were turning up knowing they had a hell of a task on their hands.

The final game of the 2022 season saw them travel to divisional rivals the Green Bay Packers and beat them in what turned out to be the final game for Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. That loss had huge implications for the Packers, but more than that, it was a statement by the Lions and their HC. 

This past offseason saw Campbell’s Lions gain more and more attention, something that he looks to relish and love. He wants all the noise, he wants expectations, he wants doubters, because in his rugged style, he and his team are waiting to shut you up.

The man, that many thought was maybe just someone who came out with crazy one liners, is showing that he is a student of the game and if you underestimate his coaching ability, or his ability to eke out the most in each and every player then you’re crazy. Because Campbell is up there as one of the most talented coaches in the league. 

One of the best compliments I can give Dan Campbell is that if I was a player, he would be the coach I would most want to play for in the NFL. The reason for that is this, he is authentic like previously mentioned and I love that. His team plays no nonsense, physical, tough football. But he is also a creative genius, who seems to just have the most ridiculous amount of trick plays up his sleeve.

His team goes for it the most and by some margin on 4th downs, which I’m all for. As a player he is just giving you all the confidence in the world and showing how much he trusts you. You then add in the fake kicks, the imagination throughout the playbook. I mean the list goes on, this guy is someone who you want to play for, you want to be on his side and you know he will get you pumped up. 

His Lions team now sits alone at the top of the NFC North. They are cementing their place as a real contender in the league. Yet from day one to now, Dan Campbell has not changed. He is the same man, with the same approach and he is showing that his way not only works, but it is built for winning. He is managing to change the identity of a franchise that has long been known for not having the ability to get the job done.

Well that time has long gone and a new chapter has begun in Detroit, Dan Campbell is writing it and you better believe that he and this Lions unit can go to the very top.