Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell Leads Team to NFC Conference Championship Game: Super Bowl in Sight

Anyone who scores an almost ridiculous four wins in their first 24 games as a head coach in the NFL usually ends up on the job market quicker than they would like. However, anyone who is on the verge of leading that same team to the Super Bowl just two years later has true coaching quality – and a squad full of quality.

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This is what happened in the US motor city of Detroit, more precisely to 47-year-old Dan Campbell with the Lions around the German star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

After Sunday’s 31:23 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the franchise, which plays in blue, white and gray, is now only one win away from reaching the Super Bowl. However, the journey there was a long one, even for the coach.

For Campbell, who was born in Texas, his dalliance with the Lions began when he was a player. In 2006 he found his way to Michigan, where he played as a tight end and had to end his playing career early due to various injuries.

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The step to the top followed positions as an assistant coach for the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints. At the Dolphins, however, Campbell only took over as interim coach before the Lions installed him as the main coach with perspective.

NFL: Lions with star rookies and Super Bowl QB

And this should turn out to be rosy, after all, around three years after Campbell took office, the Lions are in the NFC Conference Championship Game for the first time since 1992, and the first final appearance in franchise history could follow.

Campbell relies on a mixture of experience and youthful lightheartedness.

So it’s no surprise that the Lions were led by rookies on Sunday in rushing (Jahmyr Gibbs – 74 yards), tackles (Brian Branch – eight tackles, one sack) and receptions (Sam LaPorta – nine catches). Campbell played a significant role in the selection and is always involved in the selection process.

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But quarterback Jared Goff also played a large part in the success. Not only did he perform almost flawlessly on Sunday with a completion rate of over 70 percent, 287 passing yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.

The first pick from 2016 could also be a decisive factor late in the season. In 2018, Goff was in the Super Bowl with the LA Rams, although he lost it, he has seemed much more relaxed since then.

And then there is the German: Amon-Ra St. Brown. He excelled with 77 yards, and the star receiver was also able to record his first playoff touchdown ever – and what an important one! It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Anaheim-born pass receiver with roots in Leverkusen decided the duel with his touchdown to make it 31:17.

St. Brown: “Love this city”

The fact that the German-American said exclusively to SPORT1 before the game that he loves the city of Detroit and its people may be a reflection of why he is playing his best NFL season to date in a feel-good atmosphere. But also a reflection of what coach Campbell exemplifies and demands of his players.

Because on September 1st, the official start of the league, Campbell brought his entire team together to give them an important message: “I want to create something special, do you? It takes everyone in this room!”

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