Dan Campbell Reveals When Play-Calling Decision Will Be Made
Last season, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell made the decision to take away play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn.
With an offense that was stagnant, Campbell worked to make the offense more explosive and more aggressive.
The results were mixed, as quarterback Jared Goff made more plays. However, there were times Campbell did not back off going for it on fourth down when he should have.
With new Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson in the mix, Campbell is now deciding who will be responsible for play-calling duties this season.
Asked about it repeatedly this offseason, Detroit's second-year head coach discussed with reporters when he would be making the decision.
"I’ll make that decision before Philly," he said. "I do like where Ben's at. I think he’s doing a hell of a job, I really do. And, I like where our offense is at, to this point. It’s like anything else, we’ve got a ways to go. But, I’ll tell you what, look, you guys saw that situation (Thursday's practice) at the end, man, give up a sack. That’s not good.
"But, we had a timeout, you use it and look, man, just because something bad happens, it’s not over. We hit the shot to (DJ) Chark, that’s a hell of a throw by (Jared) Goff, hell of a play, hell of a protection. So, from an offensive standpoint, listen, that’s why you’re doing it. It’s what we’re looking for.”
With the scripted nature of training camp practices, Johnson has not really explored if he has learned what it takes to be the one in charge calling the plays.
"I don’t know if so far in the last week and a half that’s come up a ton, just because practice right now is scripted for the majority of it," he said. "You see those two-minute drills, those are more on the fly. That’s more what I talked about in the springtime. Those are the ones that are really the best test anyway, because so many things can change so quickly. It’s a work in progress."
