Roundtable: Has Dan Campbell Changed This Season?

Detroit Lions OnSI writers examine whether Dan Campbell's coaching style has changed and attempt to determine why the Lions lost to the Rams in Week 15.

1.) What is your concern level with Kerby Joseph being placed on IR?

Christian Booher: I think the decision to place Kerby Joseph on injured reserve came just over a month too late. It's been clear for a while that the 2024 All-Pro has not been up to par enough to play, and as a result it was always surprising that the team was waiting to send him to injured reserve.

Because the team waited so long, it appears to me that there was always hope he could return at some point. The decision to place him on IR effectively ends his season, barring a magical run into at least the Divisional Round of the playoffs, and creates a lot of questions about Joseph's future beyond this season given the widespread reports of his injury's severity. 

Vito Chirco: I think Joseph being placed on injured reserve was inevitable. And on another note, I think it’s an unfortunate sign of the serious nature of Joseph’s knee ailment. Now you start wondering if he’s going to be healthy at all next season and beyond. And if he’s not, it’d be a serious blow to the Lions’ safeties room and secondary as a whole. 

2.) How are you feeling about the season David Montgomery has had?

Booher: I think Montgomery is still reliable and valuable for the Lions' offense, but he's simply not as explosive as Gibbs and it's hard to take the Alabama product off the field. With that in mind, it hasn't been super surprising to see Gibbs take the massive workload that he has, and Montgomery's snap count has suffered as a result.

I still believe Montgomery has a valuable role within the Lions' offense, and there will be times where the team needs him. He's not expendable, but with Gibbs being so good it's tough to justify him getting a bigger workload at this point.

Chirco: I think it’s been a decent season for the seventh-year back, as he’s still averaging a productive 4.7 yards per carry. However, I feel like he hasn’t been as focal of a member of the Lions’ offense on a week-to-week basis, and subsequently I don’t think he’s been as big of a game-changer for Dan Campbell’s squad this season. He’s still got an ample amount of juice in his legs, but it seems like Detroit has made a concerted effort to reduce his level of involvement in the offensive gameplan.     

3.) Why did the Lions lose to the Rams?

Booher: The Lions lost to the Rams because the offense floundered in the third quarter. While the Rams were putting together consecutive scoring drives, the Lions' offense sputtered and stalled out after what was an exceptional first half.

Against an offense like the Rams, extended spells without points can spell doom. Detroit's defense was struggling to stop them, and they hurt themselves by not generating more momentum on offense.

Chirco: It was due to a myriad of reasons. The Lions fell apart in the third quarter, which stemmed most notably from the lack of a sufficient ground attack and the secondary’s inability to stay in front of Puka Nacua and the Rams’ pass-catchers. The defense, as a whole, failed to offer much resistance to L.A.’s potent offensive attack, and in the end, the Rams proved to be the superior team. 

4.) Are you noticing a change in Dan Campbell? 

Booher: I wouldn't say I've noticed a specific change in Campbell throughout the year. He remains the same person during pressers, routinely offering soundbites and motivational tidbits aimed to fire up his team. He's also been mostly solid calling plays, with the bouts of inconsistency becoming more amplified throughout the team's struggles.

Chirco: I wouldn’t say so. Campbell is still the same ultra competitive, over-aggressive coach that he was before the season started. Maybe he makes a few too many commercials these days, but I still believe he’s a strong leader and has command of the Lions locker room. And despite his shortcomings at times with in-game adjustments and play-calling, I still strongly believe he’s the right man for the job in the Motor City.

5.) How surprised are you that the Lions are battling to earn a playoff spot? 

Booher: Sustained success is tough to achieve in the NFL, and so there are plenty of people not surprised by the Lions' struggles this season. However, I think I fall into that category because this roster was built to contend deep into the postseason. Their inconsistency has been puzzling at times, because there are different versions of this team and its productivity that show up week to week.

I still believe that if the Lions can in fact get into the playoffs, they'll be able to make a run. They have simply too much talent to roll over and fall out of the race with a whimper, but their time and margin for error are quickly running out. If they can't make it, the Lions' front office will have to evaluate whether another offseason of one-year contracts and commitments to players already in the organization is the correct course of action.

Chirco: I’m not totally surprised because I thought the Lions would win 10-11 games tops before the season kicked off. And I also didn’t think they’d be the best team in their division in 2025. 

However, I, like many other pundits, didn’t see Ben Johnson having as good of a season in his first season with the Bears. I thought Chicago would be more competitive, but not to the extent of winning the NFC North. At the beginning of the season, I pegged Detroit to finish in second in the NFC North, right behind the Packers. Now, it looks like the Lions are going to finish third and a game or two back of a playoff spot in the ultra competitive NFC. That is something which has absolutely surprised me as we near the end of the ‘25 campaign.

• Lions' Week 16 Depth Chart Features Much Needed OL Return
• Lions' Week 16 Rooting Guide: Veteran QB Can Help Postseason Dreams
• Expert Predictions: Will Detroit Lions Defeat Pittsburgh Steelers?
• How Bears' Win Over Packers Affects Lions' Playoff Hopes