Despite leading the team to the NFC Championship the previous year, head coach Jason Campbell recognizes he and his staff can still do better. Campbell is entering his fourth season in that role with the Detroit Lions.
Regarding his coaching philosophy, Campbell claims that he views training camp as a chance to develop as a teacher and force himself and his players to make the same kinds of “tough choices” that have the power to win or lose a game.
Dan Campbell on Making Up “Difficult Decisions” at Boot Camp
According to a Detroit Free Press piece published on August 22, Campbell stated, “You try to fabricate as many difficult decisions that you can put your team and yourself in because that is what is happening inevitably.” “As I have mentioned previously, it is one thing to set them up, consider it, and say, here are the possibilities.”
“But then you have one of these where there is forty seconds left, minus forty, no timeouts, and you play it out and suddenly you are in it,” he continued. Until you are completely in it, you are not quite there yet.
The Lions create game-changing scenarios as part of their routine every day. According to Campbell, in these situations, players and coaches need to “live it” and approach the situation as though it were a real game.
In particular, Campbell mentioned the Lions’ thrilling last-minute victory in their preseason matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, August 17. “The players need to live it,” Campbell said. Like, Hooker (Hendon) must live it. I have to experience it. Johnson’s character Ben must live it. And those improve you. Therefore, I believe that makes you a lot sharper, much more prepared coach if you can create as many of those as possible.
Campbell also talked on how the Lions are better heading into the upcoming season because of their stable coaching staff. Naturally, this season marks the return of defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson for the Lions.
According to Campbell, “you flow pretty efficiently once you have done it long enough, been with these people long enough, and been with these coordinators.”
The NFL Treats the Detroit Lions’ Coaching Staff with Respect
According to PFF, Campbell is the seventh-best head coach in the league heading into the upcoming campaign.
“Cassian has transformed the Detroit Lions into a serious contender for the Super Bowl as head coach, a far cry from the guy everyone laughed at for his remarks about biting kneecaps,” according to Gordon McGuinness of PPF.com. “He and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson have contributed to the resurgence of Jared Goff’s career.” With an 85.7 PFF grade last year, the former No. 1 overall choice had the best-graded season of his career. The Lions are Campbell’s next target, and you would not rule out them winning the Super Bowl sooner rather than later.
On Thursday, August 22, ESPN published a rating of NFL coaches, and writer Ben Solak ranked Detroit is coaching staff as the second-best in the league. The coaching staff of the Lions trailed behind that of the Kansas City Chiefs.
