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Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell explained his gutsy decision to go for it on fourth down late in the Lions’ 34-31 win over the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night.
Campbell could have opted to kick the go-ahead field goal from inside 40 yards with 43 seconds remaining, but he instead chose to go for it on fourth-and-inches, and running back David Montgomery converted.
That allowed the Lions to run the clock down since the Packers had no timeouts remaining, and Jake Bates kicked a game-winning, 35-yard field goal as time expired.
When asked about the bold decision after the game, Campbell stressed that he didn’t want to give the ball back to quarterback Jordan Love and the Green Bay offense (h/t ESPN’s Eric Woodyard):
“I just felt like we needed to end it on offense. I did not want to give that ball back, and I believed we could get that, and I believed we could convert. I trusted that O-Line and I trusted David, and they came through for us.
“It’s a hell of a call by [offensive coordinator] Ben [Johnson]. I knew how I wanted to play this game. The team knew it, and everything in me told me let’s finish this, and we did.”
Since taking over as head coach of the Lions in 2021, Campbell has cemented himself as one of the most aggressive coaches in the NFL when it comes to going for it on fourth down.
Per Bryan Murphy of Sporting News, the Lions have gone for it on fourth down 145 times under Campbell, which is the most in the NFL during that timeframe. The Lions have also converted 15 of their 22 fourth-down attempts this season, ranking sixth in the league with a 68 percent conversion rate.
On Thursday, the Lions went for it on fourth down five times, and while they converted four of them, none was bigger than Montgomery’s seven-yard scamper to essentially seal the win.
According to Elias Sports Bureau (h/t Woodyard), the Lions were only the second team in the past 45 seasons to go for it on fourth down inside the opponent’s 25-yard line with the score tied and less than one minute remaining in the game.
While the decision could have backfired and led to a Green Bay game-winning field goal, Detroit instead put the proverbial nail in the coffin and didn’t allow the Packers’ offense another opportunity.
Campbell is aggressive in general, but it is fair to wonder if his decision to go for it on Thursday was partly due to the many significant injuries the Lions are dealing with on defense.
Detroit has 13 defensive players on injured reserve, including superstar pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson, plus defensive linemen Levi Onwuzurike, DJ Reader and Josh Paschal didn’t play Thursday.
To make matters worse, defensive lineman Alim McNeill was lost early in Thursday’s game due to a concussion.
Campbell protected his defense by going for it and showed immense belief in his offensive line and running game, and it proved to be the right decision.
With the win, the Lions improved to a league-best 12-1 on the season, clinched a playoff spot and took another step toward a second consecutive NFC North title.
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