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Ranking Dan Campbell's Wins as Lions' Head Coach

What win has been Campbell's best since taking over as Lions' leader?

Christian Booher

Lions coach Dan Campbell.
Lions coach Dan Campbell. / Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Not long ago, Dan Campbell had to overcome struggles as head coach of the Detroit Lions.

In the early parts of his tenure, there were struggles with late-game clock management. Additionally, the roster was often overmatched against the league's best competition. The results weren't always pretty.

However, Campbell righted the ship by doing things the way he and GM Brad Holmes wanted. By building a culture and bringing in players who fit, the Lions ultimately have ascended to legitimate championship contenders ahead of his fourth year at the helm.

Here is a ranking of each of the Lions' wins since Campbell took over prior to the 2021 season.

26. 20-6 over Falcons (2023 Week 3)

The Lions dominated an underperforming Falcons offense, which struggled to make the most of the talent it had at its disposal. It was a quiet day for the offene, while the defense pummeled Desmond Ridder.

25. 42-24 over Panthers (2023 Week 5)

With the offense clicking on all cylinders, this game was never in doubt. Aidan Hutchinson and Jerry Jacobs logged interceptions, while Will Harris recovered a fumble. Jared Goff threw three touchdowns and the offense posted 28 first half points in a dominant effort.

24. 37-30 over Packers (2021 Week 18)

The Lions pulled out all the stops to win the 2021 regular season finale, including a touchdown pass from Tom Kennedy to Kalif Raymond on a reverse-pass. Green Bay rallied back to take a late lead behind Jordan Love, but Jared Goff led the team on a go-ahead touchdown drive and the defense picked off two passes in the final 90 seconds.

23. 30-20 over Vikings (2023 Week 18)

The Lions kept the Vikings at bay throughout last year's regular season finale. Minnesota got within a score late in the third quarter, but a 75-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown ended any comeback hopes.

22. 36-27 over Commanders (2022 Week 2)

The Aidan Hutchinson breakout game. In his second NFL game, Hutchinson had three sacks by halftime. The Lions rolled to an early lead, but were forced to hold off the Commanders after they cut the lead to one score on two separate occasions.

21. 33-28 over Saints (2023 Week 13)

The Lions rolled to a 21-0 lead early in this game as the coaching staff's game plan was on point early. However, the offense began to sputter and New Orleans put together a second half rally to get within three points. However, a Jameson Williams touchdown run helped salt the game away and Campbell scored a win in his first game back in New Orleans.

20. 41-10 over Bears (2022 Week 17)

After a loss to Carolina the previous week that badly hurt the team's playoff chances, the Lions bounced back with a thorough shellacking of the Bears. Chicago scored on two first quarter drives and led after one, but the Lions dominated the rest of the way with 34 unanswered points.

19. 26-14 over Raiders (2023 Week 8)

Sticking with bouncebacks, the Lions put together a win on national television after being routed by the Baltimore Ravens a week prior. Thanks to a career night from Jahmyr Gibbs, Campbell's offense was able to put away the Raiders after red zone struggles in the first half.

18. 15-9 over Packers (2022 Week 9)

The win that started the run in 2022. Detroit's defense locked down the Packers in the red zone, and they intercepted Aaron Rodgers three times. Goff threw touchdown passes to Shane Zylstra and James Mitchell, and the Lions ultimately prevailed over the Packers to start their furious second half performance.

17. 31-26 over Bears (2023 Week 11)

The Lions struggled mightily early, as Goff threw three interceptions and the Bears built a two-score lead late in the fourth quarter. However, the offense bounced back as Goff led back-to-back touchdown drives. A safety on the final play from scrimmage cemented an impressive comeback win.

16. 20-6 over Buccaneers (2023 Week 6)

The Lions put together a strong performance on the road despite being banged up. With Jahmyr Gibbs and Brian Branch already out, the Lions lost David Montgomery midway through the first quarter. Detroit's defense held serve for most of the night, and Jameson Williams had an impressive scoring grab to help the Lions pull away.

15. 41-38 over Chargers (2023 Week 10)

A back-and-forth affair ultimately ended on a Riley Patterson field goal. The Lions' aggressiveness paid off in this scenario, as they elected to go-for-it on a fourth-and-short. After converting, they were able to run out the clock and secure the win.

14. 20-17 over Jets (2022 Week 15)

Another impressive road win. The Lions' offense struggled for much of the game, but ultimately found the right moves late. An expert play call from Ben Johnson resulted in a long touchdown from Goff to Brock Wright late in the fourth quarter, which cemented a big win for the Lions.

13. 31-30 over Bears (2022 Week 10)

Campbell's first career road win. It was an up-and-down showcase in which the Lions had to come from behind after a slow start. Goff led a late go-ahead scoring drive, and two sacks on the final drive helped the Lions earn consecutive wins for the first time in Campbell's tenure.

12. 40-14 over Jaguars (2022 Week 13)

This game was a true dominant performance over a second-weekend playoff team. Jacksonville was on its way to an AFC South title, but they took a hit when the Lions dominated both sides of the ball at Ford Field.

11. 34-20 over Packers (2023 Week 4)

The Lions' fast start to the 2023 campaign was helped by a dominant start against the Packers. They led 27-3 at halftime. Though Green Bay would build a rally to get back within two scores, the Lions put it away late with a David Montgomery touchdown run. It marked Campbell's second consecutive win at Lambeau Field.

10. 29-27 over Vikings (2021 Week 13)

This was the first win of the Campbell era. It was a major stepping stone, as the Lions had been close to winning on multiple occasions throughout his first season. Despite the late-game struggles throughout that year, Campbell's team prove it had what it took to win on the pass from Goff to St. Brown on the game's final play.

9. 42-17 over Broncos (2023 Week 15)

The Lions dominated in Campbell's first matchup against his mentor Sean Payton. The Broncos had been rolling coming into this game, and the Lions put forth nearly a flawless performance.

8. 31-18 over Giants (2022 Week 11)

After beating the Bears the week prior, the Lions dominated an eventual playoff team on the road to earn their third consecutive win. It was the first time Campbell's team had won consecutive games on the road and they controlled most of the game in a tough road environment.

7. 34-23 over Vikings (2022 Week 14)

This was one of multiple statement games for the Lions late in the 2022 season. The Vikings had a chance to clinch the NFC North at Ford Field, but the Lions were determined to not let that happen. A late pass to tackle Penei Sewell earned a crucial first down to ice the game.

6. 30-12 over Cardinals (2021 Week 15)

In this game, Campbell showed off his coaching mettle. The Lions entered this game with just one win and little to play for. With a banged up roster, Detroit dominated a playoff opponent in a game that showed that no matter the stakes, the team was committed to giving it all for its head coach.

5. 20-16 over Packers (2022 Week 18)

Detroit announced itself as contenders for the 2023 season and beyond with this victory. Campbell's team beat the Packers to keep them out of the playoffs, and longtime tormentor Aaron Rodgers threw an interception to Kerby Joseph on his final pass as a Packer.

4. 31-23 over Buccaneers (2023 Divisional Round)

The Lions stamped their ticket to the NFC Championship game by holding on against the fiesty Buccaneers. Derrick Barnes cemented himself in franchise history with the game-clinching interception, and Detroit entered euphoria as the clock ran out knowing they'd play for a chance at the Super Bowl.

3. 30-24 over Vikings (2023 Week 16)

A streak of 30 years without a division title was snapped on Christmas Eve. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs each ran for touchdowns, while Ifeatu Melifonwu intercepted Nick Mullens to seal the NFC North crown in a game that delivered the promise Campbell had been preaching about since the beginning of the season.

2. 21-20 over Chiefs (2023 Week 1)

If the win over the Packers to end 2022 left any doubts about the Lions' legitimacy, a win at Arrowhead Stadium over the reigning champions likely erased them. This game featured a fake punt and some help from struggling Chiefs receivers, but it was ultimately a big feather in Campbell's cap as the Lions proved their legitimacy.

1. 24-23 over Rams (2023 Wild Card Round)

The storylines surrounding this game were plentiful given the two teams history with each other. Goff squared off against Matthew Stafford, who had failed to win a playoff game in over a decade with the Lions. It was a back-and-forth affair, with the Lions ultimately securing their first playoff win since 1992.

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Christian Booher
CHRISTIAN BOOHER

Sports journalist who has covered the Detroit Lions the past three NFL seasons. Christian brings expert analysis, insights and an ability to fairly assess how the team is performing in a tough NFC North division. 

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