Don't ask how I found this post just now, but I'd like to comment anyway. Isn't it interesting how the bastion of analytical football is a man who looks and talks like Dan Campbell?
It's amazing to me that it's taken so long for an NFL coach to admit 'we don't have the talent, let's try to win anyway' in the way that Dan does. The Lions were never going to beat the 49ers by playing conventionally, so where most coaches would've simply gone down with the ship, Dan refused and did what he thought was necessary for his team (generally accepted as the far worse of the NFC's final two) to attempt to steal a win and a Super Bowl appearance.
It's underrated how courageous of a decision this was, because he spent a whole season subjecting himself to a lot of scrutiny by choosing to play the way he did. Trying to win in the NFL is not popular, because it often involves admitting you don't have the talent to win, and playing in an out-of-the-box way to attempt to make up for this discrepancy, and people don't like this, which is why most NFL coaches elect to just lose rather than to try to shake it up.
I hope the NFL sees Dan Campbell as an example of how actually trying to win (I refuse to label this 'overaggressiveness' in the way that some have) actually works, but they probably won't. They'll stay losing in their comfortable conservative shells.
Don't ask how I found this post just now, but I'd like to comment anyway. Isn't it interesting how the bastion of analytical football is a man who looks and talks like Dan Campbell?
It's amazing to me that it's taken so long for an NFL coach to admit 'we don't have the talent, let's try to win anyway' in the way that Dan does. The Lions were never going to beat the 49ers by playing conventionally, so where most coaches would've simply gone down with the ship, Dan refused and did what he thought was necessary for his team (generally accepted as the far worse of the NFC's final two) to attempt to steal a win and a Super Bowl appearance.
It's underrated how courageous of a decision this was, because he spent a whole season subjecting himself to a lot of scrutiny by choosing to play the way he did. Trying to win in the NFL is not popular, because it often involves admitting you don't have the talent to win, and playing in an out-of-the-box way to attempt to make up for this discrepancy, and people don't like this, which is why most NFL coaches elect to just lose rather than to try to shake it up.
I hope the NFL sees Dan Campbell as an example of how actually trying to win (I refuse to label this 'overaggressiveness' in the way that some have) actually works, but they probably won't. They'll stay losing in their comfortable conservative shells.
Couldn’t have said it better myself Robbie. Thanks for reading!
Agree.