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When we last checked in with the approval rating of Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell, he was facing a huge 98 percent approval rating heading into Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Things have changed a bit since then. The Lions are 1-3, and while that alone probably wouldn’t be enough to sink Campbell’s approval rating—we knew this team was going to go through some struggles—there are some things that have certainly painted Campbell in a not-so-light fashion so far this season.
Chief among them was the way in which the game against the Minnesota Vikings ended. We’ve already talked about it a million times, but his decision to trot out Austin Seibert for a 54-yard field goal instead of trusting his defense on a fourth-and-4 to put the game away is one of those decisions that linger, especially as wins become more and more elusive. Sure, it’s nice to see him admit he messed up the choice, but one has to wonder if he’s capable of making logical decisions in the heat of the moment.
Beyond that, though, it’s hard to point to a lot of specific criticisms of Campbell. He remains one of the most aggressive coaches on fourth down, which has him lined up with the analytical community more often than not:
How often each team has gone for 4th downs when they "should" (according to my model)
— Computer Cowboy (@benbbaldwin) October 4, 2022
Most of the teams at the top are the same ones that are there every year (Bills, Browns, Eagles, Packers, Ravens, and Doug Pederson) pic.twitter.com/4aGXZEUUOC
Of course, the reality of the situation is Dan Campbell is 4-16-1 as the Lions coach, and at some point that needs to turn around. He’s done a good job keeping morale high in Detroit and even drawing some players to sign or re-sign with the Lions. His performance on “Hard Knocks” garnered almost universal positive attention from fans and players all over the league.
But this is a results-based league, and Campbell would be the first to tell you that.
So before we get into this month’s vote, here’s what Campbell’s approval rating has looked like throughout his first 21 months on the job.
January 2021: 78 percent approval
July 2021: 97 percent approval
October 2021: 95 percent approval
November 2021: 88 percent approval
December 2021: 98 percent approval
January 2022: 98 percent approval
September 2022: 98 percent approval
Alright, now it’s time for you to vote!
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