Dan Campbell Ranked as Third-Worst NFL Head Coach
Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions enter the 2022 campaign with a higher level of expectations than they did in Campbell's first season as Lions head man.
Campbell & Co. went a dismal 3-13-1 in 2021, failing to win a game until Week 13 (a 29-27 win over the Minnesota Vikings).
The Lions spent the majority of the season on building team chemistry and establishing a winning culture inside the locker room. And, fans and pundits alike seemed to be pleased with the results of the Campbell-led locker room makeover.
At the same time, it allowed Campbell, in his first year as a full-time NFL head coach, to grow on the job and get away with some inexcusable over-aggressiveness and shoddy game management.
He won't get a pass for such mistakes in year No. 2, and the Detroit fanbase hopes that the positive culture that was built last year leads to more wins for the franchise in 2022. If it doesn't, it might just mean that Campbell's days are numbered in the Motor City.
Junfu Han, USA TODAY NETWORK
CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin recently put together a ranking of the 32 head coaches in the NFL, and ranked the Lions head man No. 30, just ahead of the Houston Texans' Lovie Smith (No. 32) and the Chicago Bears' Matt Eberflus (No. 31).
Here's what Benjamin had to say:
"Detroit won't like this, because he took the nickname 'Dan the Man' to new heights as a first-timer, invoking archaic humanity with his tearful war cries and knee-cap speeches. But energy doesn't equate to wins, as his 3-13-1 debut confirmed, and not even an influx of speedy weapons may absolve the continued commitment to QB Jared Goff."
In case you were wondering, Benjamin ranked the Kansas City Chiefs' Andy Reid as the No. 1 head coach in the league today.
Meanwhile, SI All Lions' Christian Booher had a different ranking in mind for Campbell. He ranked the fiery Detroit head coach No. 17.
Per Booher,
"Campbell has done a very good job of changing the culture in Detroit. His quips have made him popular among the media, and he’s shown to be open and authentic. Now, he’ll have to live up to the standards he’s setting inside the team’s walls. He’s handled the mindset change, now Campbell must win games."
Going into the 2022 season, the pressure is on Campbell to start turning the Lions into a winner. He doesn't have to guide Detroit to a playoff appearance this upcoming season, but he likely has to guide the team to at least seven wins to maintain his high-end job security.
And, if he does lead the Lions to such a win improvement, he likely will move up in CBS Sports' head coach rankings a year from now.
