Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said after Sunday’s crushing NFC Championship Game loss to the San Francisco 49ers that he had no regrets about his team’s two failed attempts to convert on 4th down.
Both plays were within field goal range, and Campbell’s team came up empty each time, meaning drives that had kept the 49ers defense on its heels died.
Fans of the perennially downtrodden franchise eventually saw a 17-point halftime advantage slip away, along with their hopes of playing in the Super Bowl.
“I just felt really good about us converting,” Campbell said during his post-game media conference while defending his aggressive game plan.
“I don’t regret those decisions,” he added. “And it’s hard. It’s hard because we didn’t come through, and it wasn’t able to work out. But I don’t. I don’t.”
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“I just felt really good about us converting.” – Dan Campbell on aggressive 4th down calls pic.twitter.com/ia3ZjA5qbB
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 29, 2024
Campbell, whose gritty Lions had converted more 4th down attempts than any other team in the league this season, also said he knew his decisions would be second-guessed and that he was ready to accept that.
“I understand the scrutiny I’ll get, that’s part of the gig, man,” Campbell told reporters. “But, it just didn’t work out.”
Was Dan Campbell wrong for taking the risks?
On 4th and goal and up 21-7 with just a few ticks on the clock in the second quarter, Campbell opted to make the smart move and take the points.
Detroit kicked a field goal to end the half with a 24-7 lead.
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 29, 2024
Campbell did not make the same decision at the end of two crucial drives in the second half.
With his team up 24-10 in the third quarter, Campbell decided not to send the kicking unit onto the field to potentially put a dagger in San Francisco with a three-score lead.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff tossed a strike to wide receiver Josh Reynolds that was dropped.
Josh Reynolds has to catch this! If the 49ers come back, this play will haunt the Lions. 😬 pic.twitter.com/0grkKxmcc6
— Dylan Powell (@PowellAnalytics) January 29, 2024
The drive died, and San Francisco scored a touchdown on its ensuing possession.
All of the momentum for Detroit was lost from that moment on.
In the fourth quarter, Detroit trailed on the road 27-24 when Campbell’s team again found itself on 4th down with a chance to kick a game-tying field goal.
Campbell again went for the conversion — which failed when pressure forced Goff to throw a pass that had no chance of being caught.
49ers defenses gets another 4th down stop! pic.twitter.com/jrfd6SvQp7
— ★★★★★ (@TSV__1) January 29, 2024
San Francisco tacked on 7 more points before Detroit found any more rhythm on offense.
The Lions put up another touchdown with just under a minute remaining but simply ran out of time.
A failed onside kick sent San Francisco to the Super Bowl to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas while Campbell faced a mountain of criticism:
“I thought Dan Campbell got outcoached severely in the 2nd half… I truly understand Dan Campbell loves to go for it on 4th down… Everybody’s gonna talk about analytics… Sometimes you have to play the game that day & understand how your team is playing.” – Booger McFarland pic.twitter.com/88E9cO5my9
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 29, 2024
Dan Campbell explaining his biggest fear to his therapist pic.twitter.com/keul0QzA3d
— Ben Doyka (@bendoyka) January 29, 2024
I love Dan Campbell, he’s my favorite coach in the sport.
But he had a terrible night, right to the finish. Decisions you absolutely cannot defend. #Lions
— Mike Greenberg (@Espngreeny) January 29, 2024
Live by the sword…I was really rooting for the #Lions
Everyone loves an underdog story but I’m starting to think Campbell is distant kin to the Captain of the Titanic. #Justsaying
— Charles V Payne (@cvpayne) January 29, 2024
Lions fans, players and coaches will likely spend years wondering what could have been after the team fell 34-31 in a game Detroit could and should have won.
