- Lions’ aggressive strategy fails
- Critical errors cost game
- Campbell’s decisions questioned
Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions ultimately suffered the most aggressive loss possible.
At halftime of the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, the Detroit Lions were leading the San Francisco 49ers 24-7. However, within less than a quarter, that lead had vanished. Even by the Lions’ high standards, this event embodied “Lion-ing.”
How can a seventeen-point lead disappear in eight minutes? Lousy luck, mishaps, and ladybirds are to blame.
The effectiveness of an NFL head coach is limited when the unexpected occurs. No one can plan for the team’s reliable receiver, Josh Reynolds, to miss a fourth-down conversion that would have sealed the first half. Nor for the team’s star running back, Jahmyr Gibbs, to mishandle a handoff, tumble into a mass of bodies, and lose a fumble at his 25-yard line. Likewise, the special teams unit might need to execute a well-placed punt, resulting in a touchback instead of pinning San Francisco at their goal line.
Above all, no one can plan for 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy to throw a ball skywards and receive a 51-yard completion from Brandon Aiyuk after it bounces off an opponent’s facemask.
“A ladybird landed on my shoe before the game. And you all know what that means,” Aiyuk said while trying to explain his catch after the Niners’ 34-31 victory. “Beyond that, I’m not sure.”
Aiyuk’s catch in the third quarter was a turning point in the NFC championship game. Until then, the Lions had been near flawless. Brock Purdy had been throwing the ball aimlessly into crowded areas, sacrificing accuracy for hope. The Lions failed to intercept any of the Niners’ attempts.
Then the catch happened. Reynolds then fumbled another third-down reception. The Lions missed a crucial tackle. Before anyone could refresh their drinks, the game was tied.
Campbell’s Risk-Taking Defines Lions’ Fate
Despite the chaos and the dwindling game time, Campbell remained philosophical. He entrusted his quarterback, Jared Goff, with the ball. He chose to go for it on multiple fourth downs instead of stopping the bleeding with field goals. To regain a three-score lead and stop the Niners, he missed a field goal early in the second half. Midway through the fourth quarter, on fourth-and-three at the Niners’ 30-yard line, Campbell again declined to tie the game with a field goal. It was all or nothing, touchdown or bust. Goff’s incomplete pass allowed the Niners to advance and score the winning touchdown.
There will be significant dismay over Campbell’s decisions in the coming days. He had multiple chances to stop the decline with field goals. Instead of playing it safe, the Lions could have had a chance to tie the score with a final drive. They were forced to dig themselves out of a 10-point hole as time ran out.
Campbell’s aggression is exciting. It breaks from the norm. His aggression, fourth-down decisions, faith in Goff – that’s why the Lions reached the NFC championship in the first place. However, Campbell’s choice to kick a field goal at the end of the first half, yet refusing to do so in the second half, is puzzling. When he had a chance for a three-score halftime lead, pragmatism won, but in the second half, he reverted to risk-taking.
Campbell’s Unconventional Approach Challenges Norms
Yet, Campbell is true to himself. He turned sceptics into believers with his consistent bets on his players. Goff is unproven, they said. Nowadays, running backs are not first-round draft picks. Precious resources are not spent on tight ends and safeties. Letting analytics dictate fourth-down decisions is only sometimes wise, especially not on championship Sunday. Nevertheless, Campbell did all these things.
The Lions defied convention all year, silencing any remaining doubters. This was the team Campbell envisioned for the first half of Sunday’s playoff game: A bully ball offence with solid running, explosive passing, and a formidable defence. They dominated the Niners in the first half, rushing for 182 yards and three touchdowns at 6.2 yards per carry. Goff played spectacularly, maintaining his fiery offence throughout, even as the game slipped away. A Niners’ defence paid more than any other and was ineffective for most of the game.
No wonder Campbell ramped up his efforts as the game neared its end.
So they squandered the lead. They made uncharacteristic errors. With a 76% career field goal success rate from 40 to 49 yards and only 46.7% from 50 yards or more, and a booming offence, Campbell’s choice to go for it instead of kicking made sense. He was playing the odds; the Lions were set to finish with a flourish.
The data experts said the process was sound, but the results could have been better.
If Campbell had attempted just one of those field goals, the Lions might be planning a trip to Las Vegas today. But that would have gone against the Fighting Campbells’ ethos.
Campbell is more a chess player than a kneecap-biter. Yet, his style matters. He embodies the “rah-rah” culture that other coaches preach. In three seasons, he’s transformed the Lions from laughingstocks to contenders, instilling a fearless mindset unafraid of play-calling, team-building, or external ridicule.
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The Lions have never made it to the Super Bowl. This year, the belief was genuine. If not winning, at least they reached the playoffs.
That belief existed because of Campbell. Six quarters from the championship, his unwavering faith in his players, the ethos he established, and his vision propelled the team. For most of the season, his bravery was validated by his players’ performance. In the most crucial game, those same players faltered.
“I’m aware of the scrutiny that will come my way,” Campbell said after the game. “But it just didn’t work out.” The Lions’ Super Bowl dreams were fueled by their aggression. Sloppy mistakes cost them.
It’s a chance to end a six-decade title drought.
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