On Wednesday in Allen Park, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell gave an animated response when pressed by a local reporter, John Maakaron, about the team’s offensive performance in Sunday’s 27-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Maakaron’s question, which compared the current offense under new coordinator John Morton to last year’s Ben Johnson-led unit, struck a nerve with Campbell, leading to a tense back-and-forth that quickly went viral.
Dan Campbell kicks player out of practice Dan Campbell torches reporter Detroit Lions offense
The Question That Sparked It All
Here’s the full exchange between Maakaron and Campbell:
Maakaron:
“With just how good the offense was last year under Ben Johnson, people are just wondering, myself just included, would it have been feasible just to… I know John’s (John Morton) a different coordinator, but would it have been feasible to just, Jared (Goff) talked about changes in communication, there wasn’t a lot of pre-snap motion, would it have been feasible just to run the exact same offense as last year?”
Campbell (interrupting):
“Well, what are you asking? What did Jared say?”
Maakaron:
“No, I’m saying, your offense last year…”
Campbell (cutting in again):
“No, you said something Jared said, so let me hear it.”
Maakaron:
“Changes in communication.”
Campbell:
“Yeah, but you said something about emotions and (inaudible).”
Maakaron:
“I’m saying, that wouldn’t it have been feasible to, and people are wondering, the offense looks drastically different than it does last year, would it have been feasible to exactly run the exact same offense.”
Campbell:
“So after one game, tell me what it looks like if it’s drastically different.”
Maakaron:
“Not a lot of pre-snap motion, the explosive plays weren’t there, it wasn’t as creative.”
Campbell:
“You didn’t see any pre-snap motions in that game?”
Maakaron:
“Not as much as we’ve seen before.”
Campbell (shutting it down):
“I want you to go back and look at all of our motions, pre-snap motions, fast motions, shifts on the road.”
At that point, the Lions PR staff quickly moved the press conference along.
I was cringing the whole time. I need to know who asked this. Dan is never taking a question from him again. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/1C39Uo0ttg
— Jenna (@jennamb22) September 10, 2025
Campbell’s Point Is Clear
For Campbell, the frustration stemmed from what he viewed as premature overreactions after just one game. While Detroit’s offense certainly struggled against the Packers, Campbell wasn’t about to concede that Morton’s system had taken a major step back. Instead, he challenged the reporter directly to rewatch the tape and see the evidence for himself.
This fiery exchange comes at a pivotal moment for the Lions, who will face former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and his new team, the Chicago Bears, this Sunday at Ford Field.