The Detroit Lions clinched a postseason position on Thursday with a crushing victory over the Green Bay Packers. That victory sparked another wave of franchise milestones and accomplishments for the Lions. This is the first time they’ve made the playoffs in consecutive seasons in 30 years. It was the Lions’ 11th consecutive win, breaking their previous record of ten. Oh, and it was the Lions’ 12th win in a single season, tying a franchise record set by last year’s team.
Let me rephrase that final sentence in a different way. The Lions’ franchise record for wins in a single season is twelve. They have now accomplished that feat in consecutive seasons and are almost set to break it this year with four games remaining.
Thursday’s victory was a true team effort, but as Morgan Cannon stated on Friday, it was a coaching masterclass. Dan Campbell’s fourth-down aggression not only helped the Lions win, but it was also a defensive miracle considering Detroit was forced to play a number of subs who had only been with the team for a week.
We are in a historic period of Lions football, and I believe it is time to address an important question:
Is Dan Campbell the best Detroit Lions coach ever?
My response: If you go by winning %, the answer is no. Campbell ranks fourth behind a couple coaching legends in Detroit history:
Potsy Clark, 53-25-7 (.679)
Buddy Parker is 47-23-2 (.671).
Dutch Clark is 14-8 (.636).
Dan Campbell is 36-27-1 (.570).
He still has a long way to go, especially given that he already has more defeats than the top two coaches in Lions history.
In addition, there is the issue of championship. Parker led the Lions to two championships, while Potsy Clark had one. George Wilson (53-45-6) also scored one. Campbell lacks one, and some argue that he cannot be the franchise’s finest coach unless he has one.
But statistics do not reveal the whole story. I wouldn’t say these coaches in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s had it easy, but it was considerably easier. The Lions won championships when the league consisted of nine to twelve clubs, not 32. Furthermore, these early-era coaches never had to cope with poor ownership or the consequences of decades-long failures.
Campbell has been a literal miracle worker. Many people believed that it was impossible to win in this community ever again. They’ve tried every type of appointment, including previous Super Bowl champions, player favourites, and coaches from historically winning organizations. Nothing worked until Campbell came to town.
I can’t answer for Parker, Clark, or Wilson’s teaching techniques, but I can say this: I’ve never seen Campbell’s leadership qualities in any setting. He is an excellent communicator and delegator, and he must be one of the most genuine, kind, and empathic people to have ever walked through the corridors of Detroit’s Allen Park facility. And that is enough for me to declare him the best Lions coach in history.
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