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Detroit Lions have four up for NFL awards, including Dan Campbell for Coach of the Year
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- Detroit Lions have four up for NFL awards, including Dan Campbell for Coach of the Year
The accolades keep on coming for the Detroit Lions.
The Lions had two players and two coaches named as finalists for season-long awards by the NFL and the Associated Press, it was announced on Thursday. Dan Campbell was named a finalist for Coach of the Year and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was named a finalist for Assistant Coach of the Year. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam LaPorta — two of the Lions' top three draft picks in the 2023 draft — were both named finalists for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
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Each award has five finalists and the winner will be presented at the NFL Honors event at 9 p.m. Feb. 8 in Las Vegas on CBS and the NFL Network, three days before the Super Bowl.
Campbell was one of five finalists named for the Coach of the Year award, along with John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens , DeMeco Ryans of the Houston Texans , Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers and Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns .
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Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson shakes hands with guard Kayode Awosika during warmups before the NFC divisional playoff game vs. the Buccaneers at Ford Field on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024.
Campbell led the Lions to their first division title and trip to the NFC championship game in three decades. This is the first time Campbell, who has won 22 of his last 27 games dating back to 2022, is up for the award. Wayne Fontes was the last Lions coach to win the award in 1991, the last season the Lions reached the NFC championship game.
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Johnson is up for Assistant Coach of the Year for the second time in as many seasons. He is one of five finalists along with Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator and former Lions coach Jim Schwartz and Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. Last season, Johnson did not win the award, losing out to Ryans, who was San Francisco 's defensive coordinator at the time. Johnson could become the first Lions' assistant to win the award since it started in 2014.
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Johnson, one of the leading candidates for one of the open head coaching positions remaining, led another offense that sat near the top of most NFL offensive statistical categories for the second straight season. In the 2023 regular season, the Lions were third in total offense (394.8 yards per game), fifth in scoring (27.1 points per game), fifth in rushing (135.9 rushing yards per game) and second in passing (258.9 passing yards per game). He also helped facilitate another step forward for quarterback Jared Goff , who has had a career season in helping the Lions' offense hum.
Two of Johnson's main weapons on offense were also recognized in Gibbs and LaPorta. Those players were selected by general manager Brad Holmes after he traded the No. 6 pick, courtesy of the Los Angeles Rams , to move down to No. 12 and pick up a selection at the top of the second round, which turned into two major contributors on offense. Gibbs and LaPorta are finalists along with Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud , Rams receiver Puka Nacua and Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson . If Gibbs or LaPorta wins Offensive Rookie of the Year, they would be the first Lions rookie to win it since Barry Sanders in 1989.
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26) celebrates a touchdown against Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (31) during the second half of the NFC divisional round at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024.
LaPorta set the NFL record for the most catches by a rookie tight end after immediately taking over the starting job out of the draft. In 17 games this season, LaPorta had 86 receptions for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns, and he has 12 catches for 79 yards and one touchdown in his first two playoff games.
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After a slow start, Gibbs has provided electricity out of the backfield, picking up 945 yards and 10 touchdowns on 182 carries during the regular season. He was a key factor in the Lions' win over the Buccaneers to reach the NFC championship game, picking up 74 yards and one touchdown on nine carries, including a 31-yard touchdown run, and added four catches for 40 yards.
Campbell also picked up another accolade today, when he was named NFC Coach of the Year by the 101 Awards . This is an award voted on by 101 writers who cover the sport. Ryans was the winner in the AFC.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions' Dan Campbell named finalist for NFL Coach of the Year
