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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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If you scrolled through Lions threads on Wednesday, you probably saw the clip of Amon-Ra St. Brown on the St. Brown Podcast calling out a fan base that immediately flipped out after Detroit hired Drew Petzing as offensive coordinator.
The Detroit Lions moved quickly to name Petzing their OC following a disappointing 2025 campaign, with the hire reported and confirmed on Jan. 19. Petzing arrives with three seasons of play-calling experience in Arizona and a lengthy NFL résumé that includes stops in both Minnesota and Cleveland.
However, the hire prompted immediate comparisons — and frustration — as fans floated higher-profile names like Brian Daboll, Mike McDaniel, and Kliff Kingsbury as preferred alternatives.
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St. Brown addressed the backlash directly, delivering a blunt and honest message aimed at Lions fans who were quick to pass judgment.
"Bro, I see crazy Lions fans talking crazy, like, oh, why would we do this? Like, bro, do you guys have no trust in Dan [Campbell]? In the Lions? You think they would just hire a random dude? Like, be for real. You think they don't know what they're doing? They don't do their research? They don't interview?"
"Most of you guys don't know really much about anything, about any ball. And you're tweeting about a coach that was hired that you guys don't like because of X, Y, Z," St. Brown added. "Don't get me wrong. I love all Lions fans, but they are so quick to make judgments about who we hired."
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Petzing’s Cardinals offenses were a tale of two narratives: an explosive, top-10 rushing attack in 2023-24 — including one of the best team yards-per-carry marks in franchise history — followed by a 2025 drop-off tied largely to injuries and roster turnover.
That uneven trajectory, with Arizona hovering around the middle of the pack before slipping, is what fueled much of the skepticism surrounding his hire.
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Detroit, under Dan Campbell, has gone from franchise punchline to legitimate contender in a hurry — only to stumble in 2025, finishing 9-8 and missing the playoffs after back-to-back highs in 2023-24.
Campbell didn’t sugarcoat it, calling the season an “underachievement” and giving himself a “freaking F” in his own evaluation.
That’s why the reaction has been so emotional. When a fan base believes a Super Bowl window is open, any step sideways feels like a step backward.
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