Love it or hate it, Dan Campbell set the tone for what he would be as head coach of the Detroit Lions on Day 1. Talk of "biting knee caps" was a metaphor for aggressiveness-how the players would play, and how he would approach in-game situations.
It has since been surpassed, but the Lions set the single-season record for fourth down attempts in Campbell's first season (41). In Year 2, that total of fourth down attempts "dropped" to 37. Last year, the Lions went for it on fourth down 40 times (sixth-most ever in a season). This season the Lions "only" went for it on fourth down 33 times (third-most in the league), and converted 22 of them (66.7 percent, seventh-best rate in the league).
The deeper analytical numbers consistently back up Campbell's aggressiveness on fourth down. He also is well aware of why other coaches don't have the same approach, as he has received plenty of result-based criticism when it doesn't work out. Campbell simply does not fear that backlash, and he never will.
The Lions' success rate on fourth down has gotten progressively better over Campbell's tenure. As he was going to have to do, he has also nailed balancing his aggressiveness in line with the team winning more games.
Record mark for Lions is easy residual of Dan Campbell's aggressiveness
Larry Lage of the Associated Press recently revealed a record mark the Lions have set that is not at all surprising.
"Campbell has kept his offense on the field, instead of kicking field goals or punting, a league-high 151 times on fourth down over the last four seasons. “He’s the only NFL coach to go for it that many times in a four-year span since at least 1991, according to Sportradar.”
Lions' players have regularly made it clear they expect Campbell to go for on fourth down all the time, at times with a tilt toward more aggressive in some games. That has effectively removed the abnormality of it, and taken the gravity out of those moments. Campbell recently spoke about how he has been able to engrain his approach.
"Our guys, for the most part, look at it as it’s just the next down,” Campbell said. “As opposed to this is do or die, this is the last chance.”
The critics of Campbell's aggressiveness on fourth down will never go away, ready to pounce whenever there is failure. But he is not changing his approach, nor should he.