If the Detroit Lions are to upset the San Francisco 49ers and earn a place in the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history, a large part of the credit will go to their head coach Dan Campbell.
The long years of failure in Detroit have been banished to the past by Campbell’s Lions who have reached the NFC Championship game for the first time in 32 years and have a shot at a first title since the pre-Super Bowl 1957 season.
Campbell’s rousing speeches, colorful quotes and tough demeanor have made him a popular figure among NFL fans, especially since he starred in the docuseries “Hard Knocks”.
While his team’s impressive 12-5 regular season, winning the NFC North for the first time since 1993, showed qualities well beyond the aggression and grit Campbell famously demands, his persona dominates the team.
Unlike many of his more studious contemporaries, Campbell, 47, not only has a long playing career behind him but also looks like he could still handle a quarter or two of action on the field.
A former tight end with the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit, Campbell is in many ways a throw-back to the days of the loud, upbeat head coach.
He raised eyebrows at his introductory press conference in 2021 when he outlined what kind of team he wanted to build.
“We’re gonna kick you in the teeth, and when you punch us back we’re gonna smile at you, and when you knock us down we’re going to get up, and on the way, we’re going to bite a kneecap off.
“We’re going to stand up, and it’s going to take two more shots to knock us down. And on the way up, we’re going to take your other kneecap, and we’re going to get up, and it’s gonna take three shots to get us down. And when we do, we’re gonna take another hunk out of you,” he added.
The Lions do have a bite to their play but they also have the skill and quality needed to excel in the NFL.
Quarterback Jared Goff was seen as a temporary solution when he was brought in from the Los Angeles Rams but has significantly exceeded expectations and was second in passing yards this season with 4,575.
His ‘go-to’ receiver Amon-Ra St.Brown had a career high 119 receptions and 1,515 yards receiving — both numbers putting him in the top three in the league.
The Lions pass defense has a habit of coming up big when it matters most — topping the league in “close and late” situations since 2022.
The Lions have eliminated the Rams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the playoffs but Sunday’s opponents are of a very different caliber.
The Brock Purdy led San Francisco offense is ranked number one in passing, rushing and receiving.
The 49ers have the top defense against the pass and the rush and also are first in the league, tied with Chicago, for the most interceptions.
‘Stop the run’
There is plenty for Campbell to focus on but he says the key will be to stop a 49ers run-game led by Most Valuable Player finalist, running back Christian McCaffrey.
“Stop the run. You’ve got to stop the run, because if you don’t they’ll rush for 250 (yards) on you and they won’t even worry about passing. Everything has to start there,” he said.
“They’re going to test your boundaries, they’re going to find weaknesses and just try to pepper you on those. So this is a heck of a matchup for us. Outstanding playmakers both sides of the ball,” he said.
The 49ers are determined to avoid a third straight loss in the championship game having fallen to the Eagles last year and the Rams in 2021.
San Francisco do have a major injury concern though with their star wide-receiver Deebo Samuel struggling with a shoulder injury.
Purdy has no doubt that Samuel is key to the 49ers offense.
“He’s probably the best playmaker in this league. You get the ball in his hands, he can do whatever he wants. He makes guys miss, breaks tackles, he’s strong, he’s tough, he’s got grit and we all feed off it.
“Deebo definitely gives us some juice and energy and momentum on our offense. If he’s not playing, obviously that’s tough on us, but we’ll have guys to be able to play as well that can create that as well,” he said.
