Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell isn’t making any changes to one of the most scrutinized roles on the team right now: offensive play caller.
During Detroit’s Week 10 win over the Washington Commanders, Campbell took over the offensive reins from coordinator John Morton, and despite mixed results since then, he confirmed over the weekend that he’ll continue calling plays when the Lions host the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football.
Campbell didn’t sugarcoat it, the offense has been inconsistent, the details haven’t been sharp enough, and the self-inflicted mistakes are piling up. But even with injuries mounting and the Lions sitting at 7-5, he believes sticking with the current plan is the right move.
“It’s the right thing to do with where we’re at right now,” Campbell said.
Detroit’s offense has struggled to find rhythm against elite defenses like Philadelphia and Green Bay, and things won’t get any easier with Amon-Ra St. Brown nursing an ankle injury. Campbell acknowledged that his unit needs to clean up the “little things”, alignment issues, missed assignments, and penalties that stall drives before they even begin.
He also pointed to specific breakdowns in protection last week, noting that the time to throw was there but the execution wasn’t.
While he’s frustrated by the lack of consistency, Campbell isn’t wavering on who should be holding the call sheet.
The message is simple: Detroit can fix this, but it has to start now.
With Dallas coming to town and the Lions fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive, Campbell is doubling down on his leadership — and betting on himself to help steer Detroit out of the skid.
