Dan Campbell’s fourth-quarter gamble against the Packers looked risky in real time, and for a few tense moments it had all the ingredients of a decision that could have blown up in the Lions’ face.
With Detroit tied 17-17 and just under five minutes left in Week 7, the Lions faced a fourth-and-1 - really a long 1 - at their own 24-yard line. Campbell didn’t blink. Detroit stayed on the field, but Jahmyr Gibbs was stopped for a 2-yard loss, turning the ball over on downs and handing Green Bay possession already in field goal range.
The Lions survived it anyway.
Detroit’s defense answered with a three-and-out, then watched as the Packers’ go-ahead 35-yard field goal try was deflected by Lions defensive lineman DJ Wonnum and missed the uprights. From there, the Lions offense was able to drain the clock and set up the game-winning field goal as time expired in a 20-17 win.
After the game, Campbell had no trouble explaining why he went for it.
“Well, I thought we would get it, number one. I really believed we would get that (first down),” Campbell said. “Number two, I knew we would get the ball back if it didn’t work out.”
That second point mattered. Green Bay took over at the Lions’ 22-yard line with 4:50 left, which meant the Packers weren’t in position to simply bleed the clock and end the game themselves. Even if the gamble had failed in a more damaging way, Detroit still would have had time to respond.
And while the decision drew plenty of criticism, it wasn’t without support from the numbers. According to ESPN’s Seth Walder, one analytical model favored going for it in that spot.
In Other News...
Packers Coach Weighed In On The Lions Penalty Controversy
The Packers 20-17 loss to the Lions came with plenty of extra attention on the officials, as Green Bay was flagged repeatedly and Detroit was handed 81 free yards in a game that stayed tight throughout. Matt LaFleur did not hide his frustration afterward, especially with one roughing-the-passer call, but he also stopped short of turning his postgame availability into a full-scale attack on the officiating.
LaFleur made clear he wanted the focus to shift quickly from the calls to the loss itself, saying the Packers need to move on and get ready for their next game against the Carolina Panthers. For Detroit, it was the kind of divisional win that can linger with the opponent long after the final whistle, especially when the games most debated moments keep coming back into the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Win Sparked A Postgame NFL Reaction Packers Fans Hated
The Lions 20-17 win over Green Bay was already going to leave the Packers frustrated, but the reaction afterward pushed the conversation well beyond the final whistle. Packers safety Xavier McKinney took aim at the officiating in the aftermath, and even Fox broadcaster Tom Brady raised questions about several calls, including a roughing-the-passer penalty that drew attention during the game.
What really set off Packers fans, though, came later when the leagues own social media account leaned into the celebration. The NFL posted a clip of Lions players dancing after a late offsides penalty on Green Bay, and the choice did not go over well with a chunk of the Packers fan base online. It turned a tense divisional loss into one more talking point in a rivalry that already needs no help getting heated. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Got A Huge Late-Game Break From An Unexpected Defender
Late in the fourth quarter, the Lions got a break from an unlikely source when defensive tackle DJ Wonnum got a hand on Green Bay kicker Trey Smacks 35-yard field-goal attempt. The deflection sent the kick wide and kept the score tied, a crucial swing in a game that had turned into the kind of tense, late-season grind Detroit has seen plenty of by now.
The play mattered because it kept Green Bay from seizing the lead in a game the Lions would later win 20-17. It also slipped past a lot of the locker room in real time, with several teammates not realizing Wonnum had been the one to alter the kick until after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]