Dan Campbell’s Unfiltered Post-Game Speech Has Lions Fans—and the NFL—Buzzing

Hype building around Ford Field is peaking as Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell takes his resurgent team into a Thanksgiving showdown with the Green Bay Packers—this time as both leader and offensive play-caller. Campbell’s mid-season decision to grab the headset has already lifted Detroit to top-10 rankings in EPA/play and success rate, and rival coach Matt LaFleur is bracing for an even more aggressive attack. Strong start drives playoff talk • Detroit sits 7-4, chasing its first NFC North crown since 1993 • Campbell’s offense averages 28.6 points in the three games he has called • A win Thursday would secure the Lions’ first Thanksgiving victory in five seasons Why Campbell took over the plays Ben Johnson’s exit to Washington left new coordinator John Morton installing tweaks, but early inconsistency (13 points in Week 1) convinced Campbell to press fast-forward. By featuring rookie back Jahmyr Gibbs (NFL-best 38 % target rate last three weeks) and slot machine Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit rolled up 412 yards per game in November. Jared Goff, largely turnover-free under Campbell’s hands-on guidance, has a league-high 76 % red-zone completion rate. Key matchups to watch 1. Jahmyr Gibbs vs. Packers linebackers – Gibbs’ burst on angle routes has roasted zone looks; Green Bay has allowed 7.9 YAC per catch to backs. 2. Lions interior OL vs. Kenny Clark – Campbell calls double-team power early to set tempo; Detroit averages 5.4 YPC behind center-guard. 3. Jared Goff deep shots – With Sam LaPorta sidelined (back surgery), look for more play-action posts to Jameson Williams stretching a Packers secondary missing Eric Stokes. Campbell’s locker-room fuel Players say the former tight end’s “bite a kneecap” mantra never left, but the coach has tempered raw emotion with surgical detail. Film sessions reportedly run shorter yet sharper, focusing on “winning three snaps at a time,” a phrase repeated by veterans this week. Defensive captain Alex Anzalone noted, “When Dan scripts the first 15, everybody knows the tone for the day.” Injury report tilts story line • OUT: TE Sam LaPorta (IR), S Kerby Joseph (hamstring) • QUESTIONABLE: LT Taylor Decker (knee), CB Terrion Arnold (shoulder) • ACTIVE: CB D.J. Reed, back from IR, bolsters a secondary already second in third-down stops since Week 10. What a win means Beating Green Bay would: • Push Detroit to 3-0 inside the division, key for tiebreakers • Give Campbell his 30th career victory, matching Wayne Fontes for fastest Lions coach to that mark (58 games) • Cement national belief that Detroit’s offense can thrive without Johnson and LaPorta. Bottom line Dan Campbell’s gamble to seize play-calling reins has electrified a city hungry for a deep January run. If the Lions feast on the Packers this Thanksgiving, expect his Coach of the Year odds—and Detroit’s bandwagon—to soar even higher.