All Lions: Colin Cowherd Recommends Changes Dan Campbell Can Make

Why popular host believes Lions' coach must change.

By Christian Booher

Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell reacts to a play against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of the NFC Championship game.
Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell reacts to a play against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of the NFC Championship game. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Detroit Lions are no longer a surprise underdog in the NFL landscape.

After a run to the NFC Championship captivated the league, the organization is viewed as a Super Bowl contender heading into the 2024 season. However, there are still some who believe that coach Dan Campbell will need to change as the Lions gear up to be contenders.

Speaking on a recent episode of 'The Herd,' Fox Sports host Colin Cowherd outlined why he believes that Campbell will need to leave his aggressiveness in the past for the Lions to have the best chance to win a Super Bowl.

"Detroit is an excellent young football team. I like Dan Campbell, a former player, but he often coaches like one -- reckless and too emotional," Cowherd said. "He has created a tough, cool, alpha vibe, but the general needs to be above the infantry to make stoic, strategic, unemotional decisions. Dan Campbell lives for every play. That's what players do, that's not what leaders should do. And what's concerning with Detroit, they've got the alpha, the tough and the aggressive. Reckless has never hoisted trophies in this sport. There's a line, I get it, between aggressive and reckless. Doesn't it feel like Dan crosses it regularly?"

Campbell has rarely hesitated to trust his offense in critical situations. The Lions go for it on fourth downs more than any team in the league, as the offensive-minded leader routinely puts faith in quarterback Jared Goff and company.

However, Cowherd believes that the Campbell will be forced to reckon with his decision-making as the Lions aim to hoist a Lombardi Trophy.

"Detroit now needs to move into the next phase. Work smarter, not always harder. And I loved the first phase of Detroit -- from awful to alpha to good, a stacked roster," Cowherd explained. "They were here for the moment and earned every inch of it. But it's time now to pivot to what Kansas City does in big games. Effiency, not losing your mind. There are phases in life, there are stages, chapters. This was a cool one, it was a learning lesson. Listen, I like Dan, he's never gonna be McVay, Shanahan, I don't think he's LaFleur, certainly not Andy Reid. What you hope, as a Lions fan, is that you can maintain the alpha and the toughness and the aggressiveness. But ditch the recklessness."

Here are other storylines surrounding the Detroit Lions this weekend:

The Detroit News named 10 available players the Lions should be keeping an eye on in the late stages of NFL Free Agency. 

The Lions’ team website listed five pro days to watch this week as the pre-Draft circuit continues. 

Baseball Hall of Famer John Smoltz told Rich Eisen that seeing a Lions Super Bowl victory is on his bucket list.