If you wanted to encapsulate the Detroit Lions’ season into one play, the decision they made late in Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings would be a good place to start.
The Lions had actually jumped out to a 20-6 halftime lead over the Minnesota Vikings, but Minnesota cut away at that lead in the second half. Detroit still held a 23-21 lead with 4:08 to go in the fourth quarter, at which point coach Dan Campbell faced a big decision. The Lions had 4th and 1 from their own 28 yard line, and instead of punting and playing field position, Campbell made the bold decision to go for it.
The Lions tried to fool the Vikings with a playaction pass, but it didn’t work. Not only did it not work, but quarterback Jared Goff found himself under pressure and wound up getting strip-sacked.
The Lions were 0-10-1. It’s not as if they have much to lose. If anything, they look very gutsy if they manage to get the first down there. However, if the goal is to maximize your chances of winning the game, the punt is the way to go in that spot. Goff deserves plenty of blame as well — there’s no way he can hold onto the ball that long under duress and expect to get away with it.
Campbell has won praise for his uniquely emotional personality. With more experience, he may become a solid playcaller and decision-maker as well.
Predictably, Minnesota went on to score a go-ahead touchdown with the extremely short field and went ahead 27-23. Amazingly, however, the Lions executed the two-minute drill and scored a walkoff touchdown for a 29-27 win.
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