Will Dan Campbell really reel in his signature aggressiveness?

During the press conference introducing him, Dan Campbell made it clear who he would be as the head coach of the Detroit Lions. It's no surprise he has delivered on that promise, yielding three of the top-eight seasons for fourth down attempts in league history. Last year's 40 fourth down attempts were second-most in the league, and the Lions converted 21 times.

Campbell's two decisions to go for it on fourth down in the NFC Championship got the spotlight, and a good bit of criticism in hindsight as the Lions blew a 17-point halftime lead. But the analytics broadly say win probability attached to going for it or kicking a field goal was basically a coin flip in both situations. If that's the case, we know the direction Campbell will go.

To put it plainly, if all things are equal, Campbell is going to go for it on fourth down more often than not. While there is definitely a balance to strike in the name of situational awareness, it's probably something the players like about him.

Dan Campbell hints at toning down his aggressiveness

Campbell made an appearance on a radio show in Texas recently, rooted in some history he seems to have with at least one of the hosts dating back to when he played for the Dallas Cowboys. He hinted at an ongoing self-scout on his decision-making, and a willingness to tone down his aggressiveness when the situation is right.

"I’m always gonna lean on the strength of our team. I just believe in that," Campbell said. "So who's to say we come in and it’s just a different path? And you feel like being a little bit more conservative. That can easily happen if I believe that’s the best way to play the game and it’s gonna help us win."

Campbell recalled the Lions' late run in 2022, after a 1-6 start, as a time when he shifted toward being more conservative in an effort to turn things around.

"In 2022, we were 1-6 and I backed things down significantly and I played a little bit more ball control at times," Campbell said. "We bled the clock on some stuff and then we won three in a row. Then we lost a game and won three in a row again, then we started to ramp stuff up and caught fire. I’m always gonna go with what our strength is and what I think is gonna help us win the game.” 

There's always room to evolve in certain areas, and Campbell has acknowledged his aggressiveness as one he's always working to hone. But it's also a core part of who he is as a coach, and it should never truly go away.