One week after a 44-point offensive explosion, Dan Campbell seized the play-calling reins in Detroit, only to steer the offense directly into a ditch against the Philadelphia Eagles, raising immediate questions about his high-stakes gamble. Amid the ongoing struggles with the Lions’ offense, the HC’s shocking call backfired, prompting former NFL scout John Middlekauff to step forward to share his analysis

Reflecting on the team’s disappointing defeat under head coach Dan Campbell, he summed up the overall situation as “reckless”.

 “I thought Dan Campbell was atrocious tonight. I don’t think there’s any way around it like he was reckless,” he pointed out. “Tonight you’re playing the Philadelphia Eagles, whose offense is atrocious. You’re not playing the Eagles of last year. You’re playing this Eagles team that had no chance to get to 20 points.”

Just hours before the game on Sunday, Dan Campbell announced that he will take over offensive play-calling duties for the remainder of the season, relieving offensive coordinator John Morton of that role.

The decision came immediately after a commanding 44-point performance against the Washington Commanders, and Campbell cited the need for greater cohesion and sharper execution on offense as the primary motivation behind the shake-up.

Morton’s future with the Detroit Lions currently remains uncertain. Notably, at the time the decision was made, he expressed his positive mindset.

“I fully support it,” Morton said about Campbell taking over. “Listen, man. I’ve been doing this for a while. I’ve been with head coaches that are offensive guys, play-callers, so I’m used to that. I feel very prideful of things that I was doing. There’s some things I’ve got to learn, no doubt.

Morton’s run-heavy play-calling and limited use of receiver Jameson Williams were believed to cause frustration inside the organization. While the HC’s call to take control of his duties stands for now, it has produced mixed results thus far. A fact which was addressed by Campbell after the game.

Dan Campbell reacts to the disappointing Eagles loss

Dan Campbell’s disappointment after suffering a loss against the Philadelphia Eagles eventually turned into regret. While applauding the Eagles’ unbreakable defense during the Week 11 game, he took time to wonder how things could’ve been better.

“Felt like we were getting a rhythm after that second quarter we started, we hit those explosives, went down Jameson Williams scores, touchdown, and it felt like, ‘Alright, here we go.’ But, just couldn’t ever really get in a rhythm offensively,” The coach reflected on the performance. “I mean, there’s some calls I wish I could have gotten back.”

The 49-year-old highlighted how things appeared to be getting under control after the second quarter before taking the blame on himself.

“I didn’t help those guys, and I hate that. I didn’t help them,” he added. “But that was kind of the story of the game.”

With six wins against four losses this season, the Detroit Lions now have a serious situation ahead of them. Currently, they sit third in the divisional rankings, behind the Packers and the Bears. Scheduled to play the New York Giants on Sunday, 23rd November, it will be interesting to see if they formulate a strategy to overcome offensive struggles.