This was a remarkable feat for a team that before this season had just won one playoff game in over 50 years. One of the things that has helped the franchise become winners to losers is the effort of the players. Then there was the coaching style of Dan Campbell.
The former NFL player came in the door professing a hard no-nonsense style of play that would reflect the blue-collar mentality of the city they play for.
Those who have watched some of the Detroit Lions games under the tenure of Campbell have seen him call “aggressive” hold-no-prisoners type of calls that have catapulted his team to their current stature.
For that, he should be applauded and respected for his genius on the sideline. However, when it comes down to a one-game elimination, with the winner getting a chance to go to the Super Bowl, you might want to change the status quo.
The things that made sense during the regular season and the tactics you used on your way to the top might need adjusting once you get there. Like not going for it on fourth down when you have an opportunity to tie the game on a field goal in the fourth quarter.
I understand statistics, analytics, and all that other mumbo jumbo, but at some point, you have to use something called common sense. Your team hadn’t scored a point in the whole second half. You are on the road and the home team’s crowd is going crazy.
You still have time on the clock, which means you will still get the ball back. Plus, this is the biggest game in the history of Detroit Lions football history!
You kick the field goal, hope the kicker makes it, and put pressure on the opposing team to score again. Believe me, I’m no football genius, but it doesn’t take a football expert to figure that out.
I get it though, similar to being a player, the coach has an ego. He is not able to play, so at some point, he has to let it be known to everyone how he influences wins and losses for his team.
Dan Campbell, rightfully so, has got most of the credit for his team’s success. This was a moment where he would be able to put an exclamation point on what he does and doesn’t do as a head coach.
“I just felt really good about us converting and getting our momentum and not letting them play long ball,” Campbell told reporters. “They were bleeding the clock out. That’s what they do. And I wanted to get the upper hand back.
“And it’s easy hindsight, and I get it. I get that. But I don’t regret those decisions. And that’s hard. It’s hard because we didn’t come through. It wasn’t able to work out, but I don’t, I don’t. And I understand the scrutiny I’ll get. That’s part of the gig, man. But [it] just didn’t work out.”
Campbell seems like a stand-up guy who will take the blame. Likewise, it seems like he was trying to get all the glory.
Unfortunately, it was the wrong time to display that. His ego got in the way of helping his team, the fans, and the city of Detroit on a trip to this year’s Super Bowl.