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.
Dan Campbell‘s first trip to Philadelphia as a visiting player came on Halloween of his rookie season, and 26 years later the Detroit Lions coach still remembers his first impression of Eagles fans well.
Michael Strahan intercepted a deflected pass at the line of scrimmage and returned it 44 yards for the winning touchdown in overtime, and as Campbell raced to the end zone to celebrate with his teammates he saw an Eagles fan looking to extinguish the Giants‘ celebration.
“I just see this, it was like this 64-ounce cup this guy had that was full of tobacco spit and just, I’m running over there to celebrate and he just pours it on Strahan’s back while everybody’s running over there,” Campbell said in his weekly interview Tuesday on WXYT-FM (97.1). “I backed off at the last minute, but just stuff like that, so it’s – man, it’s a hostile environment. I mean, it gets you fired up.”
Campbell played in Philadelphia once a year early in his career with the Giants and Dallas Cowboys, but has never been there as a head coach.
Campbell’s Lions lost to the Eagles on Halloween in 2021, 44-6, and again in the season opener in 2022, 38-35. Both games were at Ford Field.
At 7-2, the Eagles are tied for the best record in the NFC and would be the No. 1 seed if the playoffs started today. The Lions (6-3) are tied with the Chicago Bears atop the NFC North.
Campbell called Philadelphia “a great place to play” but also “probably the most hostile place to play” in the NFL.
“It’s electric,” Campbell said. “Had batteries thrown at us, spit on. It’s just the classic stuff, man.”
The Lions went 8-0 on the road last season, but are 3-2 away from Ford Field this season with losses to the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs.
Campbell said he’ll “make sure our guys are prepared” both for the game and the environment they’re stepping into.
“They’re going to love this,” Campbell said. “They really are. Our guys are going to freaking embrace this. This is fun stuff, man.”
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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.