Five Reasons Dan Campbell Should Win NFL Coach of the Year

Why Campbell should be NFL Coach of the Year.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Detroit Lions fourth-year coach Dan Campbell is one of five finalists for the NFL Coach of the Year award, which will be handed out Thursday at the NFL Honors.

Campbell earned the nomination after leading the Lions to a 15-2 record, a second-straight NFC North title and the No. 1 seed in the NFL playoffs.

Despite the team falling short of its Super Bowl dreams, Campbell still led the group on a banner season that was statistically one of the best in franchise history.

Other finalists for the award include Minnesota's Kevin O'Connell, Washington's Dan Quinn, Kansas City's Andy Reid and Denver's Sean Payton.

Here are five reasons why Campbell should be the league's Coach of the Year.

Navigating injuries

A typical NFL season normally forces teams to overcome injuries in different spurts. However, the amount of injuries the Lions had to deal with in 2024 felt anything but typical. Detroit dealt with injuries to a number of key players and forced the Lions to find talent from all over to stay in the championship hunt.

Campbell and the Lions' front office working to find the best talent available became a major theme. When Aidan Hutchinson went down, the Lions made a trade deadline deal to acquire Za'Darius Smith. Linebackers such as Ezekiel Turner and Kwon Alexander wound up playing big roles despite being acquired midway through the year.

In total, over 20 players spent time on injured reserve. These players included those who suffered season-ending injuries like Hutchinson and Alim McNeill, as well as those who returned after long absences like Alex Anzalone, Ifeatu Melifonwu and Kalif Raymond.

The team finishing 15-2 and earning the top playoff seed in the NFC despite dealing with all of this on the injury front is a strong feather in Campbell's cap, as no other coach in the league had to overcome this much in 2024.

Lions earned NFC No. 1 seed

Campbell led the charge for the best team in the NFC in the regular season. Headlined by a potent offense, the Lions made the right moves at the right time and were able to go unbeaten in their division. They were beaten just twice, and in a league with so much parity that is a difficult feat to accomplish.

The Lions have revitalized themselves under Campbell's leadership, and their never-quit attitude helped fuel them to multiple comeback victories on the road against Minnesota and Houston, as well as a dominant win over Minnesota to clinch the NFC North in Week 18.

Campbell won both matchups against O'Connell, who is viewed by many as the favorite for the award.

Though the team ultimately fizzled out in the Divisional Round, the regular season success was emblematic of the impact that Campbell has had on the team, as the group found ways to win despite facing adversity particularly in the way of injuries and slow starts.

Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell (L) shakes hands with Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell. / David Reginek-Imagn Images

Schematic success

The Lions' offense was historic in 2024. Campbell and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson oversaw a group that ranked first in the league in scoring and second in yards behind only the Baltimore Ravens. It was a historic campaign in which the team set numerous franchise records.

Among the new team bests that the Lions set in 2024 were for wins (15), total net yards (6,962), points (564), touchdowns (70) and point differential (+222). This level of dominant success cannot be overlooked.

Under Campbell's watch, quarterback Jared Goff had his highest output of passing yards in four seasons as a Lion and four other skill players surpassed 1,000 all-purpose yards.

Maintaining his philosophy

Entering the year, there were questions about whether the Lions would continue to maintain their aggressive approach pertaining to fourth downs after struggles in the NFC Championship game contributed to their exit. However, Campbell remained one of the league's most aggressive coaches.

Detroit ranked fourth in fourth-down attempts with 33, and converted 22 of them. Some of these were the difference in games, with a notable example being David Montgomery's fourth-and-1 conversion against Green Bay leading to Jake Bates' game-winning field goal.

Campbell never wavered from being aggressive, and continued to push the envelope in trusting his team to convert in key situations.

Elite leadership

Campbell has been known to be, above all else, one of the league's best leaders. His postgame speeches to the team routinely go viral following victories, and that's because of the substance within them.

The fourth-year coach has developed Detroit into a destination for top free agents due to the team's culture and how he motivates. His relentless style molded by his days as a player resonates with those in his locker room, and has fueled his ascent into being a leading Coach of the Year candidate.

Players and other members of the coaching staff routinely rave about his ability to prepare the team, both from a scouting perspective and a motivational perspective. Being able to handle both of these in an efficient manner plays a huge role in the team's success.

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