In the NFL, there is an adage that reads, “Players make the plays.” Although it is true that players are the ones who make the plays on the field, coaching is still important, particularly when the staff is really talented.
Many people in the NFL today who are knowledgeable about the situation would tell you that the Detroit Lions have one of the top coaching staffs in the business. Apart from the Kansas City Royals, who have won two Super Bowls, ESPN expert Ben Solak believes they are the best team in the world.
Solak stated of Lions coach Dan Campbell, “There is not a single thing that Campbell does not do right.” When it comes to fourth-down and two-point decisions, he has continuously been right. More significantly, his team supports him when he makes decisions on 50-50 calls, as he was forced to do in the previous season’s NFC Championship Game loss. That right there is culture.
I commend Solak for penning this piece. In one of the most competitive sports leagues in the world, ranking 32 coaching staffs seems like a very difficult undertaking that would require a great deal of information to complete. But I do appreciate how he characterizes coaching as “an exercise in maximization” early in the piece.
