Will It Work Again?
Campbell is not most coaches…
For those of us who have been following NFL news for many years, this next statement is a shocker. It is December and the Detroit Lions (12-1) stand alone with the best record in the NFL. That is something that hasn’t been said since 1956.
The Lions set a franchise record with their 11th-straight win, and it came in a hard-fought battle with the Green Bay Packers to take another step towards winning the NFC North, the toughest division in the NFL this season.
But it was a ballsy decision by head coach Dan Campbell that stole the headlines in this 34-31 victory. Detroit faced a 4th-and-1 at the Green Bay 21 with 43 seconds left in a tied game, and the Packers were out of timeouts. Almost every coach would just kick the 38-yard field goal, take the 34-31 lead, and trust the defense to not blow it in 40 seconds to a team without timeouts.
It’s not like they were facing the Kansas City duo of Patrick Mahomes and kicker Harrison Butker. Jordan Love has had some shortcomings on drives where he only needs a field goal, and at worst, you’d be going to overtime.
But Campbell is not most coaches. Sticking true to his guns, he went for the conversion, and David Montgomery plowed ahead for a 7-yard gain after a near disaster as quarterback Jared Goff fell down on the handoff:
pic.twitter.com/kHdKnxMWON#Lions Jared Goff falling down hands the ball to David Montgomery to get the 1st down 👀👀👀
Likely giving them a playoff spot.
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) December 6, 2024
The Lions ran down the clock and kicked the field goal on the final snap to get the win. They finished 4-of-5 on fourth down on the night. Campbell said he did not want to give the ball back and trusted his offense to get the job done, which they did.
Was It the Right Call?
Opinions were mixed on Campbell’s decision. Some felt it was the right call while many thought it was too risky, and let the NFL rumors begin that it will come back to haunt the Lions in the playoffs.
i’ve never been so sure that Dan Campbell did the right thing. https://t.co/lMfqdoGY9n
— Ryan Mathews (@Ryan_POD) December 6, 2024
“Hitting on 17 in Blackjack and getting 21 does not mean it was the right thing to do.”
–@BMac_SportsTalk was not a fan of Dan Campbell’s decision to go for it on 4th down on the Lions’ final drive. pic.twitter.com/hQcNt2YetB
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 6, 2024
I can already tell that the Lions trip to the Super Bowl is going to come down to a Dan Campbell 4th down call lol
— Jamual (@LetMualTellit) December 6, 2024
That absurd 4th down decision just reinforced a similar decision that will be made by Dan Campbell in a little more than a month’s time, and when it costs the Lions yet another trip to the Super Bowl, nobody gets to say: “What was he thinking?!”
— Jim Murray (@bigjimmurray) December 6, 2024
I’m conflicted with the call because I do believe it’s the type of decision that could make or break a Super Bowl for the Lions. You have to really take it on a case-by-case basis. If you’re in the Super Bowl, you absolutely don’t want to give Patrick Mahomes the ball back with 40 seconds regardless of timeouts. In that situation, I’d go for it again.
But if you’re playing a good Philadelphia defense in the NFC Championship Game, and you know Saquon Barkley running won’t be a factor on the other side of 40 seconds if you get stopped, you might just kick the field goal and take your chances against that passing game.
The Lions will get a possible Super Bowl preview in Week 15 when Josh Allen and the Bills come to Detroit. But the Lions have 13 defenders on injured reserve, had a few more players banged up in this game, and the Packers scored on five of their last six possessions after a bad start, similar to Chicago on Thanksgiving.
So, Campbell might have an argument that aggressive offense is his best way to win NFL games with this team. Chances are this Detroit playoff run will be defined by a fourth-down decision.
Don’t trip next time, Jared.
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