Dan Campbell’s aggressive coaching style has become a hallmark of the Detroit Lions’ identity, with fourth-down attempts and fearless play calls turning heads across the NFL. But not everyone sees that as a recipe for sustained success—especially now that the Lions have established themselves as a playoff team.
Professional sports handicapper Steve Fezzik believes the very thing that helped propel Detroit into the postseason may end up becoming a liability in 2025. Speaking on the Even Money Podcast with Ross Tucker, Fezzik compared Campbell’s strategy to an early poker innovator who shook up the game—but eventually got passed up.
“They Go for It Too Much”
“So, the Lions are like Chris Moneymaker. They directionally figured it out before the rest of the NFL: We want to go for it. We want to go for it way more than the rest of the league,” Fezzik said. “So, they had an advantage, but they’re not optimal. They make bad decisions. They go for it too much. They go for it fourth-and-goal from the 6, because Dan Campbell just decides, ‘That’s what we do.’”
Fezzik specifically pointed to Detroit’s decision in the NFC Championship Game, when the Lions passed up a field goal to potentially go up 17 against San Francisco late in the third quarter.
“Mistake,” he said.
Could the Detroit Lions Lose Their Edge?
According to Fezzik, as the rest of the NFL evolves and adapts to more data-driven decision-making, Detroit’s over-aggression could start costing them in ways it didn’t before.
“Given these other NFL teams who were sissies and weren’t aggressive enough have moved more to optimality and the Lions are too aggressive, the Lions will actually have a disadvantage, in my opinion, this year versus a lot of teams,” Fezzik concluded.
“The Detroit Lions had an advantage over the league a couple of years ago…NOW they have a disadvantage.”@FezzikSports with a fascinating point on Dan Campbell’s aggressiveness: pic.twitter.com/VGw9ZI5QQg
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) March 27, 2025
The Bottom Line
Dan Campbell has helped turn the Lions into contenders, but his trademark gamble-heavy mindset is now under scrutiny. Whether it continues to fuel Detroit’s rise—or leads to a frustrating fall—will be one of the biggest stories to watch in 2025.
