Lions head coach Dan Campbell confirmed he’s not afraid to make the gutsy name, even when it’s an unpopular thought.
Late within the sport with the Packers and Lions tied at 31, Campbell made the decision to go for it on fourth-and-inches on the Inexperienced Bay 21 with 43 seconds left.
It was a tricky, gutsy name for Campbell to make after it first appeared like Jake Bates was going to come back onto the sphere for a area purpose try.
“[Dan Campbell is] dying to go for it. However clearly, he’s gotta kick this area purpose to probably win this sport, not less than go forward right here by three,” Kirk Herbstreit mentioned on the Prime Video broadcast.
However Jared Goff remained on the sphere because the Lions tried the fourth down conversion.
The choice paid off — albeit was a a lot greater nailbiter than Campbell would have appreciated — as Goff acquired his ft tousled as he handed the ball off to David Montgomery, who ultimately took the ball over the road for 7 yards and a primary down.
“I simply acquired tripped up there slightly bit,” Goff mentioned. “It’s a nasty feeling while you’re a quarterback.”
That ensured the Lions may attempt a area purpose with out giving the Packers the ball again, and Bates hit his third-game successful kick this season.
“I simply felt like we would have liked to finish it on offense,” mentioned Campbell who went for it on fourth down 5 instances and didn’t convert simply as soon as. “I didn’t need to give the ball again and I believed we may convert. I belief the O-line. I belief David.”
Detroit managed to drag off the win with Bates kicking the game-winning area purpose as time expired on the clock for a 34-31 victory.
“We mentioned throughout the week that we had been going to be fairly aggressive on that,” Goff mentioned on the postgame present. “Dan tell us that early within the week that ‘Hey offense we’re type of placing this in your shoulders. We’re gonna be fairly aggressive and if there’s an opportunity to go for it on fourth we’re gonna do it.”
The Lions transformed 4 of their 5 fourth down alternatives towards the Packers in a vital NFC North showdown between two rival groups.
The Lions remained one among two one-loss groups within the NFL with Thursday’s win.
— with AP
