Detroit Lions Midseason Update: Dan Campbell’s Culture and the Road Ahead
Built Different, Built for Detroit
This bye week could not have come at a better time for the Detroit Lions. They’re now seven weeks in with a 5-2 record, and while they may be banged up, they remain confident sitting near the top of the NFC standings.
So far this season, the Lions have had to play through injuries across the defense and have been forced to miss key starters like Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph, and DJ Reed, yet they have remained steady and strong. Now this bye week, falling right in the middle of the season, will give them a real chance to recharge.
Campbell’s Leadership is the Lions' Edge
Inside the locker room, there is absolutely no mystery as to why this team keeps showing up the way they do. Dan Campbell’s players don’t just respect him; they believe in him.
Recently, Detroit linebacker Derrick Barnes explained it best during his recent appearance on Good Morning Football:
"That's why we play the way we play. When you hear him talk, it’s just like, I’m bought in, I’m just so blessed and honored to be part of this organization under Dan Campbell. Man, hopefully I get to spend the rest of my career here, because I don’t think there’s any place like Detroit."
That relationship-driven leadership is clearly paying off for Detroit. The Lions haven’t lost consecutive regular-season games since October of 2022, which happens to be the longest active streak in the NFL.
The deep connection he has with this team has shaped every aspect of Detroit’s rise. The Lions currently rank third in scoring, top ten in offense, and top five in team sacks, all while navigating one of the league’s longest injury lists. Now this week, he’s given the team five full days off with no extra walkthroughs or optional meetings. Even the coaching staff was told to take this time and completely unplug.
This mix of drive and perspective is exactly what separates Campbell from other coaches. It also happens to be the reason that this Lions team is so different from the ones that came before them. Even fans outside Detroit have taken notice. In Miami, where Campbell once served as an interim head coach, Dolphins fans have taken to social media this week, openly wondering how they ever let him go. Old clips of one of his fiery postgame speeches from 2015 have resurfaced online, paired with regretful captions and claims that he was the one that got away.
This type of recognition feels special. The League is finally seeing what Detroit has known for a while: Dan Campbell isn’t just a motivator. He’s a master builder of culture, and that’s never been clearer.
The NFL Films Fallout
Following the Lions' 30-17 loss in Kansas City and Lions defensive back Brian Branch’s suspension for his postgame altercation with JuJu Smith-Schuster, which we detailed in our “Chaos in Kansas City” article, NFL Films released and quickly deleted a Turning Point segment featuring Branch’s lowlights from the game, and it certainly didn’t land well.
Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said what most were thinking:
" I thought that video was crazy. I don't know why it was released, the reasoning behind it. As I was watching, I remember it popped up and I was like, 'I don't know if it was like a trick or mockery.' I clicked the NFL, and I didn't know if it was actually them. And it was. So I don't know the reasoning why they posted it or what they got out of that.”
NFL Films has since admitted the tone “felt overly critical” after taking the clip down.
A Team that Stands Together
The aftermath of Brian Branch's suspension was proof of that strong team culture. A situation that could have easily divided a lesser team showed exactly what Dan Campbell has created.
After Brian Branch was suspended, the team didn’t turn its back on him; it rallied around him. On Monday night, ahead of Detroit’s matchup against Tampa Bay, nearly every defensive back showed up wearing Branch’s #32 Jersey. That’s a culture you can see.
The Road Ahead
After the bye, Detroit will host the Minnesota Vikings in Week 9, and then head out on the road for matchups in Washington and Philadelphia. These next three games could easily define their playoff position and test everything that Dan Campbell has built.
Every sideline celebration, every jersey worn in solidarity, and every player who believes in something bigger than themselves; that's the culture that Campbell has created here in Detroit.
It seems like the bye week came at the perfect time, because when the Lions come back, they won’t just be rested, they’ll be ready