News Revealed Why Dan Campbell finishes third in Coach……
News Revealed Why Dan Campbell finishes third in Coach……
Dan Campbell finishes third in coach of year voting; Lions shut out of awards FILE – Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell reacts to a call during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, in New Orleans. Campbell is a finalist for The Associated Press 2023 NFL Coach of the Year. The winners will be announced at NFL Honors on Feb. 8.(AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman, File)AP
ALLEN PARK — The Detroit Lions had plenty of coaches and players up for big awards on Thursday night, but ultimately walked away empty-handed at the NFL Honors show in Las Vegas.
Head coach Dan Campbell finished a distant third in coach of the year voting, while Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs finished third and fourth for offensive rookie of the year; Ben Johnson finished third for assistant coach of the year; and Frank Ragnow finished behind Pittsburgh’s Cameron Heyward for Man of the Year.
Campbell led the Lions to a franchise-record 14 wins, but earned just three first-place votes and finished with 33 points overall, well off the pace set by Cleveland’s Kevin Stefanski and Houston’s Demeco Ryans, who tied for coach of the year with 165 points apiece. Stefanski earned the honor because he received one additional first-place vote, marking the closest vote in history.
No Lions coach has won the award since Wayne Fontes in 1991, the only other time the Lions have won 12 games in a season.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, the heavy favorite for offensive rookie of the year, ran away with that award. He earned 48 of a possible 50 first-place votes and finished with 246 points overall. Rams receiver Puka Nacua earned the other first-place votes and finished second with 154 points, while LaPorta (40 points) and Gibbs (four points) were far off the pace.
Ben Johnson was a finalist for assistant coach of the year for a second straight season, but came up short once again, this time finishing behind Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz — the former Lions head coach — and Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.