Dan Campbell Has Great Records Against These Three Teams

Which team have Campbell, Lions been best again?

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell hugs Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. | Raj Mehta-Imagn Images

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has made dominating the division a priority in his four years as head coach.

After a rough start to his tenure, Campbell has led the team to consecutive NFC North titles and has them on the brink of becoming a force in the division. His 17-7 record against divisional opponents, including a 2024 season in which they were 6-0 against these foes, has been a big reason why.

The popular coach has also had some consistent success against non-divisional foes, though those rotate enough to make it difficult to firmly say he has a secure advantage over them.

Here are three teams Campbell has had success against in his four seasons as the Lions' head coach.

Green Bay Packers

The Lions struggled against the Green Bay Packers for most of the 2010s, as the Aaron Rodgers-led Packers dominated the division with six division titles from 2010-19. When Campbell took over in 2021, the Packers were coming off two straight division crowns and would win a third.

Campbell's first meeting with Matt LaFleur and the Packers was on Monday Night Football in Week 2, a game in which the Packers won handily, 35-17. However, that would be the last time the Packers beat the Lions for almost two full seasons.

Detroit beat Green Bay in the 2021 season finale, though Green Bay pulled most of its starters after halftime. In 2022, the Lions won a slugfest 15-9 in Week 9 that started their season-ending 8-2 tear. Additionally, they finished that season with a 20-16 win at Lambeau Field that many viewed as a passing of the torch.

The Lions went to Lambeau again in Week 4 of the 2023 season and won 34-20, helped by a 27-3 halftime lead. Green Bay would get its revenge on the Lions on Thanksgiving that year, defeating them 29-22.

In 2024, the Lions swept the Packers for the second time in three years. They earned a third-straight win at Lambeau with a 24-14 victory in rainy conditions, then won on a last-second field goal later in the year to bring Campbell's record to 6-2 against the divisional foe in four seasons.

Arizona Cardinals

One of Campbell's early defining games came late in his first season when the Arizona Cardinals came to Ford Field. The Lions were viewed as underdogs entering the game at 1-11-1, while the Cardinals were competing for a division title at 10-3.

Detroit dominated that game from start to finish, winning 30-12 on the strength of three Jared Goff touchdown passes. It was the Lions' first blowout win under Campbell, and prompted his famous "Welcome to Detroit," postgame speech.

The Lions saw Arizona again in 2024 in Week 3. Coming off a crushing loss to Tampa Bay in Week 2, the Lions went on the road for the first time and held serve in a 30-20 win. With two double digit wins in two meetings, the Lions have handled business against their NFC West foe.

Minnesota Vikings

Campbell has emphasized from early on in his tenure that having success in the division can be a prime factor in setting a team up for postseason success. As such, he has an equal 6-2 record against the Vikings in his four years at the helm.

After a heartbreaking loss in his first meeting with Minnesota on the road, the Lions earned their first win under the head coach on a last-second touchdown from Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown in Week 13.

Minnesota again rebounded to win a tight game in their first meeting in 2022, a game in which the Lions entered the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead. The two teams met again in December, with the Vikings having a chance to win the division at Ford Field.

However, the Lions had other ideas amid their hot streak to end the year. They won, 34-23, to start a five-game winning streak that they are currently still on against their division rival.

Detroit and Minnesota met twice late in the year in 2023, with the Lions sweeping the meetings including a win on Christmas Eve that clinched their first division title in 30 years. Last season, the Lions won at Minnesota with a last-second field goal then dominated the return game at home to clinch another division title.