Are the Lions Set To Become the NFL’s New Model Franchise?
Credit: Kirthmon F. Dozier via Imagn Images
It is more fun than ever watching the Detroit Lions, even among those who are completely outside the fan base. The Lions have seemingly cracked the code to playing explosive football.
The Lions have changed the way I see offense. If you block at a high level, everything else falls into place
This group was assembled from the inside out. They built a tough foundation, guys like Gibbs were just the cherry on top. That’s the way to do it. Just look at Miami
— Nico (@elitetakes_) January 6, 2025
An argument could be made that the secret sauce of their team is the offensive line, making it their priority to put those pieces in place. Detroit refused to put the cart before the horse, waiting to add their skilled players after their cornerstones on the line were set. Once the Amon-Ra St. Browns, Jahmyr Gibbs‘, and Sam LaPortas of the world came into Detroit, they were set up for immediate success.
At the core of all of it is the former Lion himself, who brings exactly the toughness and tenacity that he used in his playing days.
For no reason at all: Dan Campbell Texas A&M highlights pic.twitter.com/h4K6V3NwmJ
— Colton Denning (@Dubsco) November 14, 2023
Back when Sean McVay’s style of offense first took off, it led to a wave of teams hiring young, offensive geniuses, some of which came directly from McVay’s coaching tree (side note: “Tremendous effort”). Dan Campbell has instilled his own formula of football. It has three tenents: Attack on all offensive cylinders, play with unwavering confidence, and go for it on fourth down unless an analytics machine comes to life and calls you an idiot. Those mantras put the Lions in the position that they’re in today. The fact that Campbell did this despite having a 3-13-1 record three seasons ago may give rebuilding teams a blueprint as to how to rebuild struggling teams of their own.
That is, if it can be replicated. Any coach can copy a scheme, theoretically. But Campbell instituted a full-on culture change that creates a genuine belief in his team, which then translates to what he does on the field. The good vibes are hard to manufacture, but building from the trenches out could spark a shift back to the old-school, RUMBLIN’, BUMBLIN’, STUMBLIN’ style of football that brings back memories of when shoulder pads were at eye level with the finesse and quickness that would make Al Davis smile from beyond the grave.
But that old-time football formula isn’t complete without Campbell’s defining characteristic (minus his goatee): deploying Madden tactics that actually work.
4th down TD JG🎯JAH#MINvsDET | 📺 NBC pic.twitter.com/wWJPBCV3na
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 6, 2025
There are times when I feel that I could be Lions’ starting punter and nobody would notice, even though any attempt would 1000% result in an appearance on SportsCenter’s Not Top Ten. Detroit’s propensity for going for it on fourth down has resulted in the third-most fourth-down conversions in the entire NFL (22), in addition to the fewest total punts (45).
Of course, those decisions are made much easier by their top-to-bottom roster of talented players, many of whom have a chip on their shoulder from being drafted before the Lions became a juggernaut. Great players help risky moves pan out, which means the Detroit blueprint might be tough to duplicate.
But that won’t (and shouldn’t) stop teams from trying, and potential branches of Campbell’s coaching tree like Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn are now popular head coaching candidates. For teams who want to attempt to replicate Campbell’s style, the man himself is giving his seal of approval to his two right-hand men.
“Their work speaks for itself, it has nothing to do with me,” Campbell said. “Both of those guys, man, they are smart, they are grinders, they are strategic. They understand how to teach, communicate, motivate, and so their work speaks for itself. Both of those guys are more than worthy of being head coaches.”
The culture of good vibes, hard-nosed football, and “Fourth Down Schmourth Down” attitude that Campbell has instilled should be heavily sought after by teams currently in desolate situations. The Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders and New England Patriots have all fired their head coaches and could be just a few of the teams who look to follow the Dan Campbell path of running a football team. The Lions blossoming into a successful team and national media darling makes it highly likely that their formula will be a popular choice for any team looking for a new identity.
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