OC Anthony Lynn has seen his play-calling duties reduced
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Despite taking over the bulk of play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn last week, Lions coach Dan Campbell is not mulling any in-season coaching changes, sources said, and any staff evaluations would come next year. However, it would also be very surprising to see this staff stay the same.
Lynn had a very difficult time connecting with starting quarterback Jared Goff, sources said, and that relationship never really clicked. The overall structure of the passing game, and game-day tendencies with play-calling has quickly become an issue for the winless Lions as well. Lynn, a longtime running back assistant in the league and a head coach with the Chargers, was also having difficulty with elements of the run game as well, with differing opinions about blocking schemes and frustration over the usage of do-everything back D’Andre Swift, the sources said.
“This was a long time coming,” said one team source. “It just wasn’t working and there were definitely some personality clashes.”
The problems had been festering since at least October, and with both the running and passing game struggling it became clear some changes had to be made. Campbell, considered a coach’s coach and someone with a reputation for being very loyal, quietly assumed many of Lynn’s duties, and there are no plans for any further shakeups on staff, sources said.
However, with this team very likely to be in the market for a young quarterback in 2022 — whether Goff remains as a potential Band-Aid starter or not — league sources indicated it would be very surprising if the Lions did not have some additions and changes to the staff for next season. It can be difficult for any coach, let alone a first-time head coach, to assemble all of the talent he covets in his first offseason, and Campbell is not someone who would feel the need to call plays or micromanage the offense.
The Lions (0-8-1) have continued to play very hard for Campbell, and respond well to his motivational and leadership style, even as the results have suffered amid a multitude of heartbreaking defeats (or ties).
