Will Dan Campbell Be Less Aggressive if Jake Bates Is Kicker?

Latest "Lone Wolves" podcast examines Lions' kicking situation.

A fan hold up a Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell sign during second half of the game against the Minnesota Vikings / David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports

The signing of kicker Jake Bates has led to interesting discussions regarding how Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell would handle having a kicker with a strong leg on the roster.

Detroit's fourth-year head coach is widely praised for his ability to relate to players and for turning around the fortunes of a team not known for playoff success.

One area of criticism that Campbell has faced, though, has been his in-game decision-making. He routinely elects to keep his offense on the field rather than try for field goals. Bates will be competing for the kicking job with incumbent Michael Badgley.

With a kicker -- e.g. Bates -- that has successfully made kicks north of 60 yards, could Campbell change his aggressive ways in 2024?

“I think that Dan Campbell’s approach has always been odds-based. He always conducts his decision-making in the term of, ‘What gives us the best chance to score here?’ So, you’ve seen him be more aggressive in the fourth-and-3, fourth-and-4, even maybe fourth-and-5 type of situations, when you get a little further outside the red zone," said Christian Booher. "To me, that’s not gonna change.

"Dan Campbell’s always gonna have his go-zones, his areas on the field where he feels more confident in going for it, as opposed to attempting a field goal," Booher continued. "But, if Jake Bates can emerge and win the job, and he can hit those kicks from 55, 57, maybe even 60 yards consistently, that adds a new wrinkle. Now, I’m not saying Dan Campbell’s gonna completely abandon his aggressive, go-for-it first approach. But, it does give him another factor to think about."

The latest "Lone Wolves" podcast explores Detroit's kicking competition, while also examining if Amon-Ra St. Brown will have a record-breaking season and how to best utilize running back Jahmyr Gibbs in his second NFL season.

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