One of the biggest storylines coming out of the Detroit Lions’ victory over the Washington Commanders this past Sunday was Dan Campbell taking over as playcaller.
In the following days, both local and national media have weighed in — showering Campbell with praise for a few different reasons.
On the Rich Eisen Show, Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner said he not only loved the decision to take over at calling plays, but the way it was framed. The automatic overreaction could have been that offensive coordinator John Morton simply isn’t “the guy,” but that’s not how Campbell put it.
“We put these guys in as coordinators and they’re supposed to be a finished product because they’re in that position — without having the opportunity to grow into the position,” he said. “I think that’s basically what Dan is saying here. He’s not saying, ‘Oh, I hired the wrong guy, this guy can’t be great at this.’ I think he’s just saying, ‘Okay, we’ve experimented. He’s not quite there yet, so I’m going to take over because I’ve been there and I’ve done this, and I know what I want, and I’m going to be able to guide him a little bit,’” Warner said.
Rich Eisen agreed, emphasizing the way Campbell talked about it afterward didn’t stir up any potentially distracting drama.
“We didn’t catch a wind of it. There wasn’t controversy leading up. There wasn’t pressure other than whatever he was putting on himself by making that move. Then the way he talked about it afterwards removed the potential controversy,” he said.
ESPN analyst Ben Solak also called the change a success, finding 57% of the Lions’ plays against Washington used motion at the snap—the highest percentage for Detroit this season and second-highest in any game Dan Campbell has coached for the Lions.
“Everyone thinks Dan Campbell is a kneecap-biting meathead — he’s a sharp dude,” he said. “He’s the nerd with the glasses on. This is a Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan-style game plan.”
Solak argues that while some might think of him in a less technical way based on certain clips floating around online, the truth is quite the opposite.
“When he gets on the mic, the Lions are as sharp of a playcalling team as any team in football,” he said. “This is a big competitive advantage for them in the NFC playoff race moving down the road.”
And onto the rest of your notes.
- Alex Anzalone hyped up his teammates over on The Jim Rome Show this week.
- Amon-Ra St. Brown Brothers offering some behind-the-scenes info about a moment you may have noticed during the Commanders game.
- Speaking of that game, Baldy’s breaking down the offensive line’s masterful work to let the Sun God be the Sun God.
- Here we go, rook!
- The “First Things First” crew explains how and why the stakes are especially high for both the Lions and Eagles this week.
- Jahmyr Gibbs was named one of two FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week after recording 172 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns in the Lions’ big win against the Commanders. Jared Goff was also nominated.
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