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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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The Detroit Lions escaped with a dramatic 20-17 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, thanks to Jake Bates' 22-yard field goal as time expired.
But the game nearly slipped away because of a risky decision Lions head coach Dan Campbell made late in the fourth quarter.
With the score tied at 17 and just under five minutes left in the game, Campbell elected to go for it on fourth-and-1 from Detroit's own 24-yard line rather than punt. A decision like that would have been bold enough in the first quarter, but to do it in the fourth with the score tied and so little time remaining is unheard of. It immediately backfired as running back Jahmyr Gibbs was tackled for a two-yard loss, handing Green Bay possession in field-goal range.
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Thankfully for Campbell, Detroit's defense came through, with D.J. Wonnum deflecting the Packers' 35-yard field goal attempt a few plays later. Jared Goff then led a 71-yard drive to set up Bates' game-winner. The win moved Detroit up to 4-2, but Campbell's decision has sparked plenty of debate, and former NFL coach and ESPN analyst Jeff Saturday weighed in on Tuesday's episode of "Get Up."
"I hated it," Saturday said. "You're on your own side of the ball. This is the best your defense has played all season, and it's not close. They had a great plan, they were executing it, everything was going to form ... If you're playing field goal game, I get it. But at least make them go earn the field goal. I get the whole time thing, but at the end of the day, they [the Packers] should have scored a touchdown, and they [the Lions] are fortunate they didn't score a touchdown. So, now it's going to look like a great call."
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Campbell has helped transform Detroit from a struggling franchise into a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The Lions reached the NFC Championship Game in 2023 and followed that with a franchise-best 15-2 season in 2024. After missing the playoffs last season, they're now 4-2 and have won three of their last four games.
Since taking over in 2021, Campbell has built his coaching identity around being aggressive. The Lions have attempted more fourth-down conversions than any other team in the NFL during his tenure, going for it 195 times since 2021 before Sunday's game. His risky playcalling has more or less paid off, even if he did get lucky against the Packers.
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Detroit's next challenge is a big one: hosting the undefeated Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. The Lions then visit the Miami Dolphins before a stretch of home games against the New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving. Those games could be crucial for how tightly contested the NFC North is this season. Campbell's aggressive approach is unlikely to change, but the Lions need to keep turning close games into wins to stay in the hunt.
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