The Detroit Lions hosted their annual Thanksgiving game at Ford Field, and it was a massive NFC North battle with the Green Bay Packers. Detroit needed this game to stay ahead of the Packers in the standings, but they fell flat on their face. The Lions have now lost to the Packers twice this season and are slowly falling in the NFC playoff picture.
One person getting plenty of blame for the Lions’ loss is head coach Dan Campbell. He took over as play-caller a few weeks ago, and many Lions fans are already looking for a change.
Dan Campbell Under Fire for Playcalling Woes
The Lions’ offense moved the ball relatively well during the game. They ended up gaining 375 yards of offense while scoring 24 points. However, they left many points on the field due to their struggles on fourth down. They went 0-2 on fourth down, and those calls are why many people are questioning Campbell.
On one of the drives, Campbell called four straight run plays, and the Lions were stuffed. Another fourth down came with the Lions down by 10 points and in field goal range. He went for it and failed instead of taking the potential three points and making it a one-score game. One fan on X, Chad, went as far as to say Campbell was “killing this team.”
Dan Campbell is killing this team. Lack of time management and not knowing that you dont have to go for it on 4th down. Then he’ll stand at the podium taking the blame and blah blah blah.
— chad (@MNITRKN1) November 27, 2025
Also, on their final scoring drive of the game, when down 10 points, they took 6:03 to go 10 plays and get a field goal. After kicking the ball back to Green Bay, they never got a stop, and the game ended with the Lions’ defense on the field. Detroit Sports Nation said, “I hate to say it, but Dan Campbell does not have what it takes to call an offense…”
I hate to say it, but Dan Campbell does not have what it takes to call an offense and manage a game clock at the same time. That clock management was absolutely horrendous.
— DetroitSportsNation (@detsportsnation) November 27, 2025
After taking over play-calling duties in Week 10, fans are ready for someone else to take that role from Campbell.
Lions Facing an Uphill Battle
With the loss to Green Bay, the Lions fall to 7-5 on the season. Also, their schedule is not getting any easier. The Lions have to face the Dallas Cowboys next Thursday, followed by the NFC-leading Los Angeles Rams. Not to mention, they have two divisional opponents at the end of the season in Minnesota and Chicago.
To make matters worse, the Lions are expected to be without wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown for at least one week and maybe more. Losing St. Brown is a crucial blow to their passing game, as he has been one of the most impactful receivers in football this season.
According to PFSN, St. Brown has a WR Impact Score of 87.9 on the season, which is the fourth-best in the NFL. It will be interesting to see whether Campbell continues to call plays, as the noise will only get louder if the Lions keep losing.
