Over the past three seasons, Lions head coach Dan Campbell has consistently been in the discussion and received votes for NFL Coach of the Year honors. This year, no one is more deserving.
The Detroit Lions Are Making the Case for Dan Campbell as COTY
The NFL Coach Of The Year (COTY) is awarded to the NFL head coach who has done the most outstanding job of working with the talent he has at his disposal.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is the current front-runner for the award. The 12-2 Vikings have secured a playoff berth and O’Connell has done a magnificent job resurrecting quarterback Sam Darnold’s career. He has NFL journeyman Darnold playing at an elite level. But as impressive a job as O’Connell has done, Dan Campbell is even more deserving.
Lions Projected to Be A Front Runner
After coming within 30 minutes of a Super Bowl appearance last year, the Detroit Lions were projected to be a Super Bowl contender before the 2024 season began. Everyone expected this team to be great. Entering the year with a target on their back, the Lions were given one of the tougher schedules in addition to several prime-time appearances. Everyone was eager to see if the Lions would live up to the hype.
Campbell had a dream roster of healthy young players at the peak of their careers heading into the 2024 season. The Detroit lineup boasts some of the most elite players at every position. Quarterback Jared Goff has been outstanding this year leading the NFL in most metrics. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs comprise the NFL’s best running-back duo. Amon-Ra St. Brown is among the league’s most talented and reliable wide receivers. It’s easy for a head coach to look good when you have a roster overflowing with talent. Detroit’s locker room is filled with enormous talent, but that doesn’t generate votes for COTY.
How Campbell Set The Lions Up for Success
However, building a winning team requires more than talent. The coach’s job is to set the tone, create a winning culture , and establish a rock-solid foundation.
When the Lions missed out on the Super Bowl last year, there was an enormous sense of loss and the team felt they’d let their fans down. The prize was so close. It was within reach, and then cruelly snatched away at the last second.
But Campbell spun that disappointment and pain into the ultimate motivation for the team to do better this year. Setting the tone, Campbell threw down the gauntlet. The team needed to do better. While they may have come up short last year, Campbell convinced them the Lions’ Super Bowl drought was over. At long last, a Championship title was their destiny and 2024 would be the year.
The season began as expected with the Lions winning close games against some of the NFL’s toughest opponents. The team closed out the month of September with three wins and one loss. The Lions came off their early bye week to face the Dallas Cowboys on the road.
Despite losing star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson to a horrific leg injury, the team didn’t fold. The Lions fought back and were utterly relentless in their 47-9 victory over the Cowboys. Hutchinson’s injury only served to fuel the team. The Lions’ supercharged defense was all over Dallas. With three interceptions and a forced fumble, the Lions held the Cowboys to three points following Hutchinson’s injury.
Why Campbell Is The NFL’s Best Coach
The job of a good coach is to motivate the players to overcome any obstacles in their path. Campbell built this team to withstand adversity and come back stronger than before. He reminded the team they weren’t dependent on one player. Everyone in the locker room needed to step up and do their job. The Lions front office would take care of the rest and find a way to replace Hutch.
The following week Detroit defeated the Vikings by a score of 31-29. Despite the injuries to Hutchinson and other key personnel, the Lions finished the month of October atop the NFC North with a record of 6-1.
But the hits kept coming as more players succumbed to injuries. Like a chain of dominos, when one player went down, others began to topple. The Thanksgiving game against the Chicago Bears left so many injured players, that EVP and GM Brad Holmes spent Black Friday on an NFL practice squad shopping spree. Holmes added four veteran players to Detroit’s defensive line.
Campbell and the Lions’ defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn went to work, bringing the best out of their cobbled-together lineup. Even though most of these players had never shared a lineup before, the battered and bruised Lions continued to win games. The Lions extended their streak to a franchise-best eleven straight games.
Campbell and The Lions Fall To Josh Allen and Buffalo
The Lions entered week 15 tied with the Kansas City Chiefs for the NFL’s best record at 12-1. During a tough 48-42 loss to Buffalo, the Lions lost three more key players on defense and their elite running back Montgomery. Currently, tied at 12-2 with the Vikings and the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit faces an uphill battle to lock down the number one seed in the NFC division. But don’t count the Lions out and don’t bet against Campbell.
This team is at its best with their backs against the wall. These players are hungry and motivated to accomplish the mission they started a year ago and have the mental fortitude to go the distance. If the sole voting criteria for COTY is based on working with the talent he has at his disposal, Campbell is finding a way to win games no matter who is in his lineup.
The final sign of a truly great coach is someone who trains the next generation of leaders. As a mentor, Campbell has empowered DC Glenn and offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson to shine. The pair are the most highly sought-after head coaching candidates in the NFL for the 2025 season. Lions fans can only hope that Campbell has a great succession plan underway for their replacements in Detroit.
Main Photo: David Reginek-Imagn Images
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