The Detroit Lions are coming off a big win over Washington Commanders Sunday, November 9, but the big talk out of that game, even more than the win, was how it happened. Lions head coach Dan Campbell took over the play calling for the offense during the game, leaving first-year offensive coordinator John Morton as the No. 2 staffer making the calls.
That drew a lot of attention, because, of course, it’s usually the offensive coordinator who calls those plays. After the game, Campbell said that he talked with Morton after the 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings a week prior and discussed what went wrong and what improvements needed to be made. He also said that Morton was cool with the move.
“Listen, John Morton’s all team,” Campbell insisted. “That’s all he cares about. He just wants to win. He wants to be a part of it. He wants to help where he can, and he was outstanding today.”
He added, “He’s a grinder, he’s a worker, and he just tries to help and give you anything you can possibly need for the game. Look, if you’re him, of course it probably doesn’t feel too good, but he’s also a pro and he understands everything, so we move on.”
So, Campbell took over on Sunday, and now, everyone is wondering if he’ll do it again. His bold move even caught the attention of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who’s engaged to Taylor Swift.
During the Wednesday, November 12, edition of his “New Heights” podcast with his brother, Jason Kelce, Travis talked about Campbell and had praise for the coach. Both Kelce said they were impressed by Campbell’s coaching skills and how he’s “incredibly intimidating,” even with reading glasses on.
“I’m not… around with that,” Travis Kelce said on the show, calling him out, but in a good, playful way. “Just the traps coming out of the T-shirt that tells me I don’t need to bark up that tree.”
Jason Kelce added, “It’s the red skin that just tells you… his blood is just pulsing. He’s just waiting to explode with rage.”
Campbell’s play calling resulted in 546 yards, their most in a game since last November, and 44 points on the board. It’s the most points Detroit has scored since Week 5, according to NFL research.
Now, the Detroit Lions are looking ahead to Sunday’s matchup on November 15, which will see the Lions going up against the Philadelphia Eagles in a road contest on “Sunday Night Football.” The Eagles have a 7-2 record heading into the game and are one of the strongest teams in the NFL. The Lions have a 6-3 record and are the underdogs in this game.
So, the Detroit Lions will have to face the reigning champions and bring their best moves against the Eagles, plus, they’ll be playing in front of a loyal Philadelphia audience. But, the Detroit Lions know this is a make-or-break game, and that if they can beat the Eagles, they’ll be on their way to once again snagging the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
The Denver Broncos are 8-2, but after their close 10-7 win over the lowly Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night Football in Week 10, there has been some pushback on the Broncos’ record and contender status.
One of the main subjects of criticism has been Broncos’ second-year quarterback Bo Nix. He’s had his ups and downs in his NFL career, but lately, he’s struggled a bit more than usual.
Those struggles led Super Bowl Champion cornerback Asante Samuel, whose son just signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, to blast Nix on Twitter/X. Samuel doesn’t understand why people (fans, media, etc.) believe in Nix.
“Please don’t tell me anyone believes in Bo Nix.” Samuel posted. “He isn’t like that!”
Nix has gone through his fair share of struggles, but for a former NFL player, one who still has connections to the NFL, to blast Nix like this is surprising.
The 25-year-old quarterback has been inconsistent this season. He’s had incredible comebacks, the wild wins over the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants, but has also had poor performances surrounding those comebacks.
Against the Raiders, he went 16 for 28 for 150 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. It’s the fourth straight game for Nix with at least one turnover.
He has 2,126 passing yards and 18 touchdowns on the year, but his eight interceptions are not great, especially with four coming in the last three weeks.
With his latest game coming in primetime, his struggles were brought to the center stage. While Nix isn’t the worst quarterback in the league, he does have some struggles he needs to get over.
His 60.9 completion percentage is nearly six percent worse than it was in his rookie season. He’s slightly worse in most categories this season.
But there’s still one reason to be optimistic in Nix and believe in him, unlike Samuel. Nix is great at avoiding sacks, with a league-leading 2.78 sack percentage.
Samuel’s blasting of Nix is just another hater of Nix. He’s faced plenty of boo’s, including from his own fanbase, and if he doesn’t turn things around, those boo’s and criticism will continue.
But Denver is 8-2, and a Week 11 win over the Kansas City Chiefs would be a great way to deny his haters. Samuel might not believe in Nix, but there’s reason to believe the second-year quarterback can prove him wrong.