Dan Campbell Explains Decision to Part Ways with Offensive Coordinator Anthony Lynn
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell opened his latest media session on Monday, following the conclusion of the regular season, with news that had been previously reported.
It was no secret, and many had already assumed that offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn and the Lions were headed for a divorce.
Once the veteran coach was stripped of his play-calling duties and Campbell took over, Lynn's fate was sealed.
"Just talked to him a little bit ago. Felt like this is just best for for both of us. Look, he came here, and took a leap of faith with us, under the impression that he would be calling the plays. It was not going to go that direction," Campbell said. "That's not fair to him, either. So, I wish him the best, and he's been a true pro. He works his tail off. He gave us everything he had. I appreciate him for that. He is a pro."
The offense to start the season never really got off the ground, and it struggled to consistently find the end zone.
A myriad of reasons could explain the lack of success, but not having a true deep-threat wideout and losing Taylor Decker early in the season impacted what the offense could truly accomplish.
After evaluating the offense, Campbell decided to take over play-calling and increase the responsibilities of tight ends coach Ben Johnson.
With a newfound rhythm, the emergence of Amon-Ra St. Brown and the addition of Josh Reynolds, the offense looked significantly better and took more chances.
While the end results were still not good enough, Campbell felt comfortable enough to change direction with the coaching staff.
The sheer number of trick plays and creative play-calling were certainly a shift away from a more traditional approach that Lynn may have been more comfortable with.
"It just wasn't a fit," Campbell said. "You want it to be. I think we never found our groove or our rhythm. It's hard to really, truly pinpoint. Sometimes, it just doesn't work out the way you want."
Detroit's first-year head coach is not in a hurry to decide if he will continue to call plays next season.
There will be ample opportunities to evaluate and decide what should happen next with the coaching staff, including roles and responsibilities.
"I'm not in a hurry. That's for sure," he said. "I'm not in some hurry to do something here. I feel pretty good one way or another about what we're going to do. I do know we're going in the right direction offensively. I do believe that."
