{"id":13928,"date":"2025-11-18T05:00:55","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T05:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/dan-campbells-aggressive-play-calling-backfires-lions-week-11-loss-raises-major-questions\/"},"modified":"2025-11-18T05:00:55","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T05:00:55","slug":"dan-campbells-aggressive-play-calling-backfires-lions-week-11-loss-raises-major-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/?p=13928","title":{"rendered":"Dan Campbell\u2019s Aggressive Play Calling Backfires: Lions\u2019 Week 11 Loss Raises Major Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"

“We know we can do better. As a team, we need to execute when it counts. The fourth downs, the timeouts\u2014those are decisions I have to own. It\u2019s on me to make sure we don\u2019t repeat this. We\u2019ll learn from this and come back stronger.”<\/p>\n

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<\/em> \u2014 Dan Campbell<\/strong>, Head Coach of the Detroit Lions, on his game management and the team\u2019s performance against the Eagles.<\/p>\n

The Detroit Lions<\/strong> faced their first real test of adversity in <\/p>\n

One of the most glaring issues was Campbell\u2019s <\/p>\n

Another decision that raised eyebrows was Campbell\u2019s use of timeouts<\/strong>. As the first half wound down, the Lions had the chance to use their timeouts to set up a potential scoring drive before halftime, but Campbell opted to let the clock run. His reasoning? To gain “another” possession in the second half. This decision seemed out of character for Campbell, known for his aggressive and calculated approach. Unfortunately, the Lions did nothing with the possession they gained after the halftime kickoff, rendering the decision pointless.<\/p>\n

For Dan Campbell<\/strong>, this loss marks his first real test of adversity since taking over as head coach. While the Lions had shown significant promise early in the season, this game against the Eagles revealed a <\/p>\n

“We know we can do better. As a team, we need to execute when it counts. The fourth downs, the timeouts\u2014those are decisions I have to own. It\u2019s on me to make sure we don\u2019t repeat this. We\u2019ll learn from this and come back stronger.”<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/em> \u2014 Dan Campbell<\/strong>, on his game management and the team\u2019s performance against the Eagles.<\/p>\n

With two crucial games ahead, including a Thanksgiving matchup against Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys<\/p>\n

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<\/strong>, Campbell must find the right balance between being too aggressive<\/strong> and too conservative<\/strong>. The NFC North<\/strong> race is heating up, and Campbell\u2019s decisions in the coming weeks will be critical in determining if the Lions can stay in the playoff hunt.<\/p>\n

The Lions<\/strong> have a few days to reflect on their Week 11 loss<\/strong>, but one thing is clear: Dan Campbell<\/strong>\u2019s aggressive play calling and game management decisions must improve if the Lions are to remain competitive in the tight <\/p>\n

The New York Jets\u00a0may be very much outside of the playoffs, looking in, but that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re done adding new pieces to the team.<\/p>\n

NFL Network Insider\u00a0Tom Pelissero posted on social media that, \u201cVeteran DT Khalen Saunders is expected to sign with the Jets, per sources. The two-time Super Bowl champion is the latest veteran addition in New York, where Aaron Glenn is working to the build the culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

NFL Insider\u00a0Jordan Schultz\u00a0shared on social media that the Jets were one of several teams that displayed \u201cstrong interest\u201d in\u00a0Saunders.<\/p>\n

The other teams that showed interest, according to Schultz, included the\u00a0Baltimore Ravens, the\u00a0Indianapolis Colts, and the\u00a0Arizona Cardinals.<\/p>\n

The former Western Illinois product entered the league as the No. 84 overall pick in the third round of the 2019\u00a0NFL\u00a0draft.<\/p>\n

He spent the first four years of his career with the\u00a0Kansas City Chiefs. During that run, he won two Super Bowls.<\/p>\n

After his rookie contract expired, Saunders signed a three-year\u00a0$14.5 million\u00a0contract with the\u00a0New Orleans Saint<\/p>\n

In August of 2025, the\u00a0Saints flipped\u00a0Saunders to the\u00a0Jacksonville Jaguars\u00a0in a rare player-for-player trade in exchange for center\u00a0Luke Fortner.<\/p>\n

NFL Network Insider\u00a0Tom Pelissero shared on social media that the Jaguars waived Saunders on November 13. He cleared waivers and became eligible to sign with any team as an unrestricted free agent.<\/p>\n

Saunders\u00a0has appeared\u00a0in 70 games and has made 32 starts. With those opportunities, he has registered 6.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, 17 quarterback hits, six pass deflections, and has totaled 184 tackles.<\/p>\n

Saunders, 29, also made big waves with the lone interception of his career.<\/p>\n

The big man, standing at 6-foot and weighing 324 pounds, went viral on social media after picking off his former teammate,\u00a0Patrick Mahomes.<\/p>\n

In Week 5 of the 2024 season on Monday Night Football, Mahomes tossed a ball into the end zone that got deflected up in the air.<\/p>\n

\u201c[It] went off the hands of wide receiver\u00a0JuJu Smith-Schuster, Sanders snagged the pass one-handed and rumbled out of the end zone for 36 yards before being tripped up,\u201d ESPN\u2019s\u00a0Katherine Terrell wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cSaunders had to get oxygen on the sideline later. According to the NFL\u2019s Next Gen Stats, the 324-pound Saunders reached a top speed of 15.79 miles per hour on the return, the third-fastest speed for a ball carrier that size since 2016,\u201d Terrell revealed.<\/p>\n

With\u00a0Quinnen Williams\u00a0no longer being a part of the equation after the blockbuster trade with the\u00a0Dallas Cowboys, the Jets need more bodies.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, the Jets chose to look for someone in the middle of a lost season. At 2-8, the Jets aren\u2019t making the playoffs.<\/p>\n

However, this provides an opportunity for the staff to look at Saunders for the rest of 2025 with the hopes of potentially bringing him back in 2026 if they like what they see the rest of the way.<\/p>\n

This was a massive need for the Jets dating back to the offseason, and now they have plugged a hole with a big body.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“We know we can do better. As a team, we need to execute when it counts. The fourth downs, the timeouts\u2014those are decisions I have to own. It\u2019s on me to make…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hot-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t