Dan Campbell not concerned about poor officiating: ‘You make your own luck’

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell was asked on Friday if he’s gotten any resolution from the potential missed delay of game at the end of the team’s game against the Baltimore Ravens. Campbell said rather than submit his questions about officiating in the typical formal manner, he called up the league directly and was told it was a judgment call for the officiating crew.

“It’s really a subjective call is really what it came down to,” Campbell said. “I think they’re kind of split on it.”

Typically on delay of game calls, the officials give a little bit of leeway between when the play clock turns to zero and when the snap is made. In this case, that leeway must have been pushing its limits, as the video clearly shows there is almost a full second between the expiration of the clock and the Ravens’ snap.

Nevertheless, Campbell did not want to harp on it too much. Not only has he moved onto this week’s game against the Chicago Bears, but he told the media that he has no interest in complaining about bad calls. Every team has to deal with bad calls, the good teams overcome them.

“I’m so over it now,” Campbell said.

But why not give the officiating crew hell? Why not say something publicly? This seems to always happen in Detroit, so isn’t it time to send a message?

“I get some of that. That’s not my place. Look, I came from a place where we didn’t have some great calls go our way either,” Campbell said, obviously referring to the botched pass interference no-call for the Saints in the NFC Championship game against the Rams.

“And we won a lot of games. So I don’t use that as an excuse. Man, you make your own luck. We’ll find our luck because we’ll earn it and make it happen.”

It’s hard not to agree with Campbell. Every team’s fan base has a laundry list of complaints about the officiating every week. The best thing a team can do is put themselves in a position where the refs can’t decide the game, and it sounds like that’s what Campbell is prepared to do.