It isn't any secret that the Detroit Lions have struggled to establish the running game in recent weeks. This issue was highlighted in Week 16's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers when the Lions managed only 15 rushing yards against a defense that gives up an average of 113.8 yards per game. The performance also came one week after the Lions had only 70 rushing yards in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
With their playoff hopes on the line, this brought about obvious questions for head coach Dan Campbell during his Tuesday press conference. The Detroit News' Nolan Bianchi reported that Campbell blamed the problems on a schematic failure and furthered this by explaining that the coaching staff "didn't give our guys a chance."
Campbell is attempting to take it on the chin, but he offered a vague answer that points fingers at the coaching staff. The head coach has often taken heat for the team's failures, and that is admirable if you're not actually the one actively causing the problem. But Campbell has already taken over play calling from offensive coordinator John Morton and is in charge of getting the rushing attack rolling. Even with Campbell at the controls, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery have been sporadic at best and it's on him to fix the problem.
Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell Offers Sad Response to Detroit's Run Game Struggles
It isn't all that difficult to get the speed of Gibbs or the physicality of Montgomery rolling. You simply need to give either back enough space to get going. Last week's attack against Pittsburgh was focused on plugging the middle of the field, with the Lions having an easy counter by utilizing checkdowns or putting the backs in run plays to the outside. But there was nothing offered from Campbell that allowed the run game to get rolling or forced the defense to adjust.
Campbell's explanation for the failure is in many ways correct, but it is also vague and refuses to name a solution. This is typical of a frustrating 2025 season when it has become glaring just how much former OC Ben Johnson did for this team.
Seeing a once-dominating offense struggling to this level is infuriating and bringing up some obvious questions for Campbell. While the head coach isn't in any danger of losing his job based on past seasons, there should be meaningful staff changes, including bringing in a coordinator capable of using Detroit's treasure trove of weapons.
For Campbell, this is a bad look that is only going to improve if the Christmas Day's game against the Minnesota Vikings goes Detroit's way and the offense is able to feature a balanced attack. Any other result is going to cause an understandable level of frustration for a head coach who simply doesn't have any answers for the ground game.