There isn’t a situation where Dan Campbell won’t go for it on fourth down. We discovered that on Thursday evening.
The Detroit Lions failed on a fourth down from their own 31 earlier in the second half against the Green Bay Packers, and had what seemed like an obvious decision to kick a field goal with 43 seconds left in a draw. But it wasn’t obvious. The Lions went for it, and even when Jared Goff fell while taking the snap, he handed off to David Montgomery for a seven-yard gain and a first down.
That meant Jordan Love and the Packers wouldn’t get a chance to answer a field goal.
The Lions won 34-31 on a field goal as time expired. The Packers (9-4) were a tough opponent, but the Lions (12-1) found a way to get the win.
“I just felt like we had to end it on offense,” Campbell told reporters afterward. “I didn’t want to give that ball back and I believe we could get it [first down].”
The Lions were tied 31-31 with just a few minutes left and a depleted defense struggling to get a stop. And Detroit did what a championship team should do: It made all the plays it needed to and got a much-needed win. It was a candidate for game of the year, with each team taking turns making big plays. The Lions made a few more plays when they had to. Goff shook off a bad interception, which has rarely happened to him this season, and made some big plays in the second half, including several on a game-winning drive in the final minutes.
And then Campbell’s decision helped put the game away. There may be a moment in the playoffs where his aggressiveness backfires, like in last season’s NFC championship game, but it’s also a big reason why Detroit is 12-1 this season.
The Lions defense provides early pressure
The Lions had many defensive injuries during the game. They compensated for that by putting a lot of extra pressure on Love.
The Lions led 10-0 a few minutes into the second quarter, and the Packers had only 37 yards and one first down. Whenever Love dropped back, the Lions would send in additional blitzers. Love was sacked on Green Bay’s first offensive play by Za’Darius Smith, and that set the tone for shorthanded defense early.
The Packers counter-punch was to run the ball. They mostly kept it on the ground for a drive after falling behind 10-0, had their first sustained drive of the night and a Lions penalty in the end zone set up a Josh Jacobs 1-yard touchdown.
The Lions had a drive that ran the clock down to the final seconds before halftime, and they conceded a fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line. Just like at the end of the match, Campbell went for it. He passed on a field goal and Jahmyr Gibbs caught a two-yard touchdown pass with 11 seconds left in the half. That was a huge play and a big drive, as Detroit scored without giving Green Bay a chance to answer before halftime.
The Lions defense had played well. Love had just three completions for 31 yards at the half. It looked like the offense hadn’t been great, but it produced enough for a 17-7 halftime lead.
Packers take a lead in the fourth quarter
The Packers grabbed a lead in the fourth quarter thanks to a Goff interception and a botched gamble on fourth down. Goff’s interception against Keisean Nixon put the Packers at the Lions’ 16-yard line, and Jacobs scored a few plays later to give Green Bay a 21–17 lead.
The Lions were good on fourth downs, but all it takes is one failure to make all gambles look bad. The Lions went for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 31-yard line late in the third quarter. That shouldn’t have been a big surprise. Campbell likes to be aggressive. The Lions had already gone for it three times on fourth down and picked up all three. This one didn’t work, with the Lions throwing the ball to Gibbs and the Packers coming down the field to stop him well short of the first down. In one game the Lions led 24-21, that stop in Detroit territory was huge. Jacobs then got his third touchdown of the game and the Packers regained the lead.
The Lions were not deterred. Patrick scored again with 8:39 left and the Lions regained a 31-28 lead. Love came right back, avoiding what looked like a sure sack by lightning-quick linebacker Jack Campbell to hit Watson for a 29-yard gain, and then Dontayvion Wicks for another 26 yards. An offensive pass interference call took a Jacobs touchdown catch off the board, and the Packers settled for a field goal and a tie game with 3:38 to go.
Goff went to work. He hit Jameson Williams for 19 yards to start the drive. Gibbs picked up a first down on a screen pass on third-and-7. A holding call put the Lions back, but Goff hit Amon-Ra St. Brown over the middle for a huge 16-yard gain on second-and-17. The Lions didn’t score a third-and-1 run, but they were back within field goal range. Then came Campbell’s call, a big first and the game-winning field goal.
The Lions keep their fans on the edge of their seats. Campbell wouldn’t have it any other way.
Live70 updates
