Lions head coach Dan Campbell has been known for his aggressiveness on fourth down throughout his tenure in Detroit, for better or for worse.
Without even looking at numbers, it’s fair to assume the Lions would be considered the most aggressive team in the NFL. We now have numbers to actually back that up.
Rotowire scaled each team factoring, but not limited to, 4th-down attempts, two-point conversions and trick plays (the plays we know the Lions love).
Detroit’s Z-score was 4.73. A full point higher than the next team, the Washington Commanders. Those two teams were also the only two to score above 3.0. The Buffalo Bills were third at 2.80.
Rotowire wrote: “The stats back up Dan Campbell’s reputation as the NFL’s most aggressive head coach. Whether it’s going for it on fourth down, faking a punt from deep in their own territory or attempting an onside kick with 12 minutes left, the Lions are never afraid to roll the proverbial dice. A high-octane offense that led the NFL with 33.2 PPG helped Campbell’s aggressiveness pay off more often than not in 2024, and Detroit’s likely to stay atop this leaderboard in 2024, even after OC Ben Johnson and DC Aaron Glenn both left to become head coaches elsewhere.”
The Lions brought in John Morton, who worked under Sean Payton last season in Denver, as their new offensive coordinator. While it remains to be seen how aggressive he’ll be, Campbell’s presence will still be felt and should rub off on Morton and the Lions should remain one of, if not the most aggressive team in the NFL.