Dan Campbell explains decision to take over Lions play-calling
Dan Campbell explains decision to take over Detroit Lions play-calling on offense after 44-22 win over Washington Commanders, Nov. 9, 2025.
LANDOVER, MD ‒ Penei Sewell left briefly with a leg injury. Graham Glasgow missed time after he got “karate chop(ped)” in the back by a teammate. And Kayode Awosika made his first start of the year at left guard.
But no matter who they had up front, the Detroit Lions didn’t miss a beat on their offensive line on Sunday, Nov. 9.
Both Sewell and Glasgow returned after leaving with injuries, and the Lions‘ offensive line played one of its best games of the season in a 44-22 win over the Washington Commanders.
The Lions (6-3) ran for a season-high 226 yards and didn’t allow a sack for the first time since Week 4, one week after their line struggled badly in a loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
“I guess we’re good again, who knew?” center Graham Glasgow said. “I mean, things haven’t been great the past week but I mean, we bounce back, we played well, there’s a lot of stuff to build on.”
Glasgow, the only starting lineman who did not leave the Vikings game with injury, was injured with 3:14 left in the second quarter when teammate Tate Ratledge inadvertently kicked him in the back while tumbling to the ground after a run play.
“I guess he like planted a dude and then I was moving my leg out of the way to not get rolled up so I was on the ground and I’m like looking over at him and he’s doing like a (bleeping) somersault or a front flip over this kid and then he like karate chops down on my back with his heel,” Glasgow said. “And I was just like, ‘Oh my god. That hurt so bad.’ But it’ll be fine. I think. I’m sure. It’ll be good.”
Glasgow returned in the second half, while Sewell missed seven plays in the first quarter after a Commanders player rolled into his left leg on a run play.
Dan Skipper filled in for Sewell at right tackle, Trystan Colon replaced Glasgow briefly at center, and Awosika played the entire game at left guard in place of Christian Mahogany, who broke a bone in his leg last week and is on injured reserve.
Sewell (shoulder), Decker (shoulder/knee) and Ratledge (stinger) all left last week’s game with injuries, and Sewell and Decker missed practice time during the week.
“They did a great job, they really did,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “You could just feel the line of scrimmage move today and honestly, I feel like I could have called anything today and they were going to make it work. They were just, they took it over, man. Guys were unbelievable.”
Terrion Arnold injury update
The Lions lost cornerback Terrion Arnold to a brain injury Sunday. Arnold has left in five of the seven games he has played this season with injury ‒ he has returned in several of them ‒ and missed two others because of a shoulder injury.
Rock Ya-Sin finished the game at outside cornerback opposite Amik Robertson.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.