NFL management writes head coach Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions a letter of confinement. …

 

 

 

Through his bold and aggressive approach to game management, coach Dan Campbell transformed the Detroit Lions from an annual doormat into a contender for a spot in Super Bowl LVIII. But, in Sunday’s 34-31 NFC championship game loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Campbell’s go-for-broke mentality proved costly for his team, particularly in two pivotal fourth-down situations.

In a league where coaches are increasingly relying on analytical assistance, Campbell had already made a name for himself as maybe the most aggressive coach when it came to fourth down, with many choosing to punt or attempt field goals. According to TruMedia, the Lions, led by Campbell, tried a fourth down a league-high 33 percent of the time this season, significantly more than the NFL average of 20 percent.In their first two postseason games, the Lions converted three out of five fourth-down attempts. They only made one of their three tries on Sunday, failing twice in the latter half when the offense was poised for a field goal. Midway through the third quarter, trailing the 49ers by fourteen points, Campbell made the decision to go for it on fourth and two from the 28-yard line; a field goal would have knotted the game at three. A pass that was dropped ruined the play. Halfway through the fourth quarter, with his team behind by three points, Campbell made the decision to go for it on fourth and three from the 49ers’ 30-yard line. San Francisco recovered possession of the ball after one more failed play, and they immediately marched for a score to establish a 10-point lead.

Campbell’s decision-making was put under strain since the two plays, which were close calls based on the statistics, were made in the middle of San Francisco’s comeback from a 17-point halftime deficit.

ESPN’s Booger McFarland said, “I felt like there was a major coaching change in the second half.” Dan Campbell’s love of going for it on fourth down is something I can truly identify with. Sometimes, though, you have to see your team play that day and participate in the game personally.

The argument against the bold approach focuses on the possibility that momentum and other intangibles might affect playoff results. It also suggests that the Lions lost a chance to impede or perhaps accelerate San Francisco’s momentum by failing to convert on field goal attempts.

“I realize it’s easy looking back,” Campbell told reporters on Sunday night. “I know that, yet I find it hard to not feel remorse for the decisions I made. It is tough that we were unable to succeed. It was not going to work. But I have no regrets at all. I’m not. I also know that I’ll be watched closely. Hey, that’s just a part of the job. Simply put, it wasn’t meant to be.