Lions Dan Campbell Will Still Call Plays, Addresses Pass-Rush Woes

Campbell will remain offensive play-caller.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell. | David Reginek-Imagn Images

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell will not be making a change regarding his status as the team's offensive play-caller heading into a matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.

Asked by Lions OnSI about whether or not he plans to continue calling plays, Campbell stated that he's mulled options and believes it remains in the best interest of the team to continue calling plays for the offense.

“Yeah. I think it’s the right thing to do right now,” Campbell said.

 Campbell has been the team's play-caller for four games, taking over for offensive coordinator John Morton for the team's Week 10 clash with the Washington Commanders. The Lions are 2-2 with Campbell calling the shots, averaging 27.8 points per game in that span.

In his first game calling the plays, the Lions scored 44 points and did not punt against the Commanders. However, the group has been inconsistent over the last three weeks including a nine-point effort against the Eagles in Week 11.

With the team facing a crucial stretch starting with Thursday's matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, the Lions are facing some urgency to get on the right track.

Addressing pass-rush issues

The Lions have recorded just one sack defensively over the last two games, that being Aidan Hutchinson's game-clincher in overtime against the Giants.

Campbell expanded on the issues facing the team in this area, particularly crediting Green Bay's game plan for the inability to get home last week. Jordan Love displayed impressive timing througout the day, getting the ball out before the Lions were able to get home.

“Well, when you go through it and you look at it like I do, I count it up. Basically, how long does it take for this ball to get off? What is the depth of the pocket? Is it just a three-step? Five-step? Play-action, is it deeper than that, longer than that?" Campbell said. "And really, there was about three plays in there where we’ve got time to get there and we’re not getting there. Everything else was ball out, or we got disruption and the ball’s out and they’re making a play."

Moving forward, the fifth-year head coach is hoping to get the team to win more of their one-on-one matchups and get consistent pressure on the quarterback.

"On those plays, we’ve got to be better," Campbell explained. "We’ve got to find a way to get there. The guys who have a one-on-one have to show up and have to become disruptive faster than we were on those the other night.”