Dan Campbell has been a perfect fit as head coach of the Detroit Lions, and after a record setting 15-2 season he is finally starting to earn respect from across the NFL for his work.
Campbell not only rejuvenated the Lions, but has connected with scores of fans in Metro Detroit who were not enthusiastic about the product the team put on the field. That new energy has impressed former Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.
When he joined "The Herd With Colin Cowherd" earlier this week, Hasselbeck backed up the host's sentiment noting Campbell's fit beyond football reasons.
"Their style of play, their identity, their head coach's personality, who he is at the podium resonates with the city, resonates with Detroit. We're a tough city. We're a blue collar city. We're not like everybody else. We're built I don't want to say "Ford tough," but it's kind of that mindset and I think it matters. Dan Campbell's not just some tough guy though. He's a guy that played for (Bill) Parcells. He coached for Sean Payton for a long time and Payton loves him, so he's not just some meathead. He's a guy that weathered the storms. He's pretty smart. He's been around Hall of Fame type coaching. He was the interm head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Do I think he would have been the perfect head coach for the Miami Dolphins? No. Do I think he's the perfect head coach for the Detroit Lions? Yes. Honestly, just like the synergy of your castoff quarterback, just that toughness, that grittiness, that resilience. It all fits together with what they got."
While Campbell cut his teeth with some good coaches and has now proven himself, there's still room for him to improve in some ways.
Matt Hasselbeck believes Dan Campbell must learn to balance his approach in one area
Campbell has taken the Lions to new heights, but the team's biggest goal no longer revolves around making the postseason or winning the NFC North. Now, the franchise has sights set on making the Super Bowl and winning championships. Hasselbeck believes for those goals to happen, Campbell must find a way to fine tune his toughness.
"The danger for him? He's got to learn how to be tough and physical and all that and still survive these long seasons. You don't want to be limping into the Super Bowl, right? I don't know if you call it load management, but you got to practice smart and you have to coach smart from an injury standpoint. That remains to be seen if they can do that."
With the Lions on a bye this week, Campbell has taken a lighter approach with multiple days off while saying he wants to "keep the engine idling." But Hasselbeck's comments still resonate overall.
Famously, Campbell hasn't rested starters in "meaningless" games, such as Week 17's tilt with the San Francisco 49ers. Campbell also doesn't pull starters too quickly in blowouts, which has fostered questions with the chance for top players to get hurt in those scenarios. Hasselbeck thinks Campbell must tweak his approach, and maybe he is starting to do so.