When Dan Campbell was introduced as Detroit Lions head coach in January 2021, his memorable quote about “biting kneecaps” set the tone for his aggressive and fearless approach. Over his first four seasons, the Lions set a record for the most fourth-down attempts in that span, going for it 151 times.
His first three seasons (2021-2023) rank among the top-11 seasons in NFL history for fourth-down attempts. In 2024, the Lions converted 22 of 33 fourth downs (66.7 percent). Analytics generally support Campbell’s bold decisions.
During one of his regular appearances on 97.1 The Ticket last season, Campbell explained why other coaches are less aggressive. “Oh, I don’t know. Well, here’s the obvious. What happens when we don’t get that?” Campbell said. “That’s why. To each his own, there’s plenty of philosophies that work in this league. And you can win a lot of games doing it your way, and I just lean more this way…”
While going for it on fourth down is no longer taboo, Campbell still stands out. His players and coaches expect to go for it in many situations. Campbell’s fourth-down aggressiveness forces opponents to adjust their game plans.
As Richard Silva of the Detroit News pointed out, the Minnesota Vikings went for it just 13 times on fourth down during the 2024 season, the fewest in the league. Three of those attempts came against the Lions in Week 18. This disruption to opponents’ usual strategies gives the Lions a significant advantage.
Barry Sanders, the Lions’ Hall of Fame running back, appeared on the “Green Light” podcast with former NFL defensive end Chris Long and praised Campbell for being a pioneer in the push for more fourth-down aggressiveness in the NFL. “That’s where it starts. You’ve seen just how Coach Campbell has changed the game. The amount of chances he’s willing to take, he’s changed the game,” Sanders said.
“Really, it just feeds on itself because now the players understand when they get in certain situations, it’s not even a second thought. That does develop that culture and confidence. It certainly adds a great benefit to that offense because I’m pretty sure over the last few years, the defenses are thinking, ‘Will they go for it in this case?’ And the Lions are saying, ‘No, we’re definitely going to go for it.’”
Campbell became more strategic and measured with his fourth-down decisions last season, and his success rate shows that he should continue embracing his aggressive style.