Darrell Bevell refers to his interim head coach tag with the Detroit Lions as a “five-game audition.” He could be right. However, his current leadership may attract other offers.
Former WWE star Enzo Amore had a quote that accurately describes Darrell Bevell.
He is “a certified G, and you can’t teach that.”
From the moment the Detroit Lions relieved Matt Patricia, media members have raved about the contrast between him and Bevell. Their personalities are nothing alike.
And fresh off a loss 24 hours ago, he showed how much of a “G” he was discussing a separate but challenging subject without pulling any punches.
In a media session on Monday evening, the interim Detroit Lions head coach addressed the firing of special teams coordinator Brayden Coombs. During the session, Bevell confirmed that Coombs’ insubordination is what led to his dismissal. While the Lions were down 32-18, Coombs’ called for a fake punt on a fourth-and-4 under his discretion.
Now let’s be clear about one thing.
Firing someone doesn’t make you a “G”.
Nonetheless, your explanation of the firing can. And in the case of Bevell, it does. Along with that, it showcases his leadership in that position.
“As hard as the decisions can be, I think it’s important that I have a philosophy and I have a belief in things that I am trying to instill in the team, instill in the coaching staff and instill in the program”, said Bevell.
“When things happen that are outside of it, then there needs to be something that happens.”
“If something doesn’t happen, then really, you lose some credibility. I always feel it’s important; I tell our coaches all the time; we need to do what we say we’re going to do. If we tell these guys something, we need to be able to come through.”
Amen to that.
Bevell didn’t act coy about why he initiated the firing of Coombs.
He was straight up with it. Coombs broke the chain of command, and if he didn’t punish him, that would have shown weakness on his part.
And he’s right.
If Bevell doesn’t fire Coombs in this situation, how can he be a leader of men?
In the fourth-and-4 situation that cost Coombs his job, Bevell felt that the Lions would be better off punting. Along with that, that was a call he would’ve made to get the first down.
“Where we were, we had three timeouts left plus the two-minute warning, and Jack (Fox) is punting really well. I thought it’d be best to flip the field and keep us in the game there, down two scores”, said Bevell.
“We get the ball back; you saw how the offense was going, with a really good chance. If I’m going to go for it there, I’m going to leave the offense out, and I’m going to trust Matthew with the ball.”
Let’s examine a few things about what he said there.
First, Bevell could be a bit delusional if he thought his defense would stop the Titans from scoring again. Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill were looking like the APA; another WWE reference there for you.
They were giving the Lions defense “clotheslines (or stiff arms) from hell.”
And this also could be why Coombs decided to go rogue with his call.
However, this is where Bevell’s leadership shines while showcasing the trust he has in his players.
Regardless of the Titans’ offense demolishing the Lions’ defense, he wanted to punt because he trusted his guys to make a play. Along with that, if he wanted to go for it, he would allow the captain (Stafford) to be in the process.
The Lions’ two consecutive losses eliminate them from the playoffs. Along with that, it may have knocked Darrell Bevell out of consideration for the Lions’ head coach position. Despite that, there will be a handful of head coach openings on the NFL’s “Black Monday.”
And he may have already coached (or talked) himself onto the radar of a team somewhere.
