In 2021, nine games into his first season as the head coach of the NFL’s Detroit Lions, Dan Campbell stripped the team’s offensive coordinator of play-calling responsibilities and took over himself. The Lions were winless and even the coordinator acknowledged that he likely would have made the same move.
Four years later, Campbell did it again.
On Nov. 3, nine weeks into the season, Campbell took over from first-year coordinator John Morton — but this time, the change didn’t seem to be obviously in the works.
Through five games, the Lions had scored a franchise-record 174 points. By early November, the Lions were 5-3 and had averaged enough points to rank in the NFL’s top five.
Still, Campbell felt a change was required, and the Lions responded with 44 points in a win against Washington, which fielded one of the league’s worst defenses.
“Let’s just see if a different playcaller can maybe get us a little rhythm? That’s all,” Campbell said of his motivations. “Honestly, it’s nothing more than that.”
Yet the stakes are much more than just a midseason change. As the NFL season enters its stretch run, and no single team has separated itself as a clear-cut Super Bowl favorite, the Lions — who have never played in a Super Bowl — are one of numerous potential contenders again after two years of entering the postseason as a top NFC threat, only to fall short.
“I just feel like it’s the right thing to do right now and I’m gonna do it,” Campbell said Monday.
Campbell acknowledged that for Morton, “of course it probably doesn’t feel too good, but also he’s a pro and he understands everything.” He also didn’t remove the possibility of Morton potentially calling plays again, even “maybe sooner, who knows” than in 2026, he told reporters. Morton continues to give Campbell information, the coach said, including an opponent’s defensive tendencies. Six coaches had provided input during a “collaborative effort” Week 10 win at Washington, Campbell said.
The shakeup was consistent with a boldness that has marked Campbell’s tenure in Detroit, from provocative quotes in his opening press conference to the team’s annual placement among the offenses most likely to go for it on fourth down. Still, it was surprising because, for one, Goff and Morton had overlapped before in Detroit, in 2022, and the comfort the quarterback had built with the coordinator was “extremely important” to Goff, he said earlier this season.
Since Detroit’s gaudy first month offensively, however, its attack had begun to gain fewer yards and more signs of concern. After going three-and-out just 25 times in 17 games all of last season, the Lions had done it 20 times in this season’s first eight games, the team’s own website noted. Although receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown’s seven touchdowns ranked second in the league, its dual-threat rushing attack of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs had been held to 65 rushing yards combined during a Week 9 loss. Since averaging 34.8 points during its first five games, Detroit had scored nearly two touchdowns less in its next three games.
Play-calling’s learning curve, Campbell said, is gaining a “feel” that can only be gained through experience, which was partly why he said he still would be relying on Morton greatly.
“Knowing when to go and when to pull and push and pull and push and pull and, to be honest, that’s kind of one of his best traits as a leader,” Goff said. “And, not to cross leadership and play calling, but knowing kind of when the shot (downfield) feels right and when the run feels right, and when to switch the run and do that, it’s really hard. It’s a lot of feel. You can’t really teach it, you can’t really learn it and he did a great job with that.”
It was Campbell’s first big call, one that could determine Detroit’s Super Bowl aspirations.
What we’re watching for in Week 11
Commanders (3-7) vs. Dolphins (3-7), in Madrid, Spain: Washington’s defense (28.0 points allowed per game this season) has contributed to four straight losses of at least 20 points. If that streak of 20-plus point losses extends to five, it will tie the 1986 Buccaneers for the longest in NFL history.
Panthers (5-5) at Falcons (3-6): Carolina, which beat Atlanta in Week 3, hasn’t swept the Falcons in a season since 2013. Atlanta has lost four straight games in its division.
Buccaneers (6-3) at Bills (6-3): Last week was the first time Buffalo, which leads the NFL with 153 rush yards per game, didn’t gain at least 100 on the ground. The common thread in all three Bills’ losses has been turnovers, with quarterback Josh Allen committing multiple turnovers in each loss.
Texans (4-5) at Titans (1-8): The Titans have been outscored by a league-worst 127 points, but would have to be outscored by an average margin of 20 points per game the rest of the season to equal the NFL record.
Bears (6-3) at Vikings (4-5): Four fourth-quarter comebacks have turned around Chicago’s season, but the franchise has more work before its playoff contention becomes real. The Bears are 1-8 against their division since 2023, including 0-2 this season.
Packers (5-3-1) at Giants (2-8): The Giants’ 79 penalties don’t lead the league — a distinction earned by Jacksonville and Denver, both with 83.
Bengals (3-6) at Steelers (5-4): It bodes well that this is a day game for the Steelers, who are 0-3 at night. Cincinnati’s DJ Turner leads the league with 14 passes defended. The bad news for the Bengals is that their 109 missed tackles lead the league by 28.
Chargers (7-3) at Jaguars (5-4): Los Angeles has run a league-high 660 plays — 165 more than 32nd-ranked Pittsburgh — and 46 percent of their drives end in a score, the fifth-best mark in the NFL.
Seahawks (7-2) at Rams (7-2): Good things happen when these quarterbacks drop back to pass. The Rams’ Matthew Stafford (8.2 percent) and Seattle’s Sam Darnold (7.5 percent) rank second and third in the percentage of passes that become touchdowns. And Darnold (league-high 9.24 yards) and Stafford (7.22) both rank in the top five in net yards gained per pass attempt, which factors in yards lost to sacks.
49ers (6-4) at Cardinals (3-6): Arizona is 0-3 against NFC West opponents, and is 1-6 in their last seven games overall.
Ravens (4-5) at Browns (2-7): Myles Garrett’s 17 tackles for loss lead the NFL. That figure includes 11 sacks, which ties with the Giants’ Brian Burns for the league lead.
Chiefs (5-4) at Broncos (8-2): Denver is 7-0 playing on real grass this season, by far the NFL’s best record. The grass surface they’ll play on Sunday is brand new after being installed in their home just nine days ago.
Lions (6-3) at Eagles (7-2): Philadelphia’s offense hasn’t been pretty, but it also doesn’t turn the ball over. Its drives end in turnovers a league-low 4.4 percent of the time (compare that to the league-worst Dolphins, at 16.5 percent). Detroit has missed the fewest tackles in the NFL.
Cowboys (3-5-1) at Raiders (2-7): Opponents are converting third downs 52.6 percent of the time against the maligned Dallas defense, the worst mark in the league. Opponents also are scoring touchdowns nearly 70 percent of the time they enter the red zone against Dallas, the league’s fourth-worst mark.