The Lions had new offensive and defensive coordinators this season, and it seems likely that there will be another move on the offensive side after head coach Dan Campbell took over play-calling responsibilities from John Morton midway through the year.
On Tuesday, Campbell shared some thoughts about how defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has fared in his first year on the job. The Lions have slipped from seventh to 23rd in points allowed, but are 18th in yards allowed after finishing 20th under Aaron Glenn in 2024.
“I like Shep,” Campbell said on 97.1 The Ticket, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “Shep has really grown this year. I think with any first-time coordinator, first-time coach, you go through a lot and you learn along the way. You make adjustments, you find things that you believe in, you throw other things to the side that don’t fit you. You find ways to adjust and it’s just part of the process. And I think Shep’s done a damn good job. There’s always going to be things that you learn from this job, but I like Shep.”
Campbell said he is “not about to start going through what I’m going to do here or there” with one game still to play and said he has spent the most time thinking about his own performance because he feels he is “the one who’s not done a good enough job here.” Missing the playoffs is sure to lead to some changes in Detroit, however, and word on what direction they’ll go should come shortly after Sunday’s game against the Bears.
