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Dan Campbell has been instrumental in the Detroit Lions’ transformation. In three seasons, he's helped turn the long-suffering franchise from loveable losers to legitimate contenders.
This season, the former tight end made a breakthrough, leading the Lions to the National Football Conference Championship Game, their first since 1991.
Along the way, Campbell took some gambles that paid off. However, the same aggressiveness that made them winners backfired when the San Francisco 49ers knocked at the door.
That’s why a football fan compared him to a former head coach after the Lions lost to the Niners, saying:
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“Dan Campbell is the new Brandon Staley. Take the points once in a while.”
Another NFC Championship Game viewer seconded that thought by posting:
“Dan Campbell is giving me big Brandon Staley vibes rn”
Here are other reactions to Campbell’s aggressive decision late in the game versus San Francisco.
Staley and Campbell have a penchant for going for it on fourth down, even if conventional wisdom says that doing the contrary is the best decision. During his time with the Los Angeles Chargers, Staley often ran offensive plays instead of punting, even when they were facing fourth down on their side of the field.
His tenure with Los Angeles’ AFC team ended after they surrendered 63 points to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15 this season. He finished his head coaching tenure at 24-25, including a disastrous playoff result against the Jacksonville Jaguars last season.
Meanwhile, football fans pointed out two instances wherein Campbell being conservative could have changed the game’s outcome. First, the Lions faced fourth-and-2 on the 49ers’ 28-yard line with over seven minutes left in the third quarter.
Dan Campbell went for it instead of allowing Michael Badgley to attempt a makeable 36-yard field goal, which could have stretched their lead to 10 points at 27-17. Jared Goff threw an incomplete pass, resulting in a turnover on downs.
The Niners scored a touchdown on the succeeding drive, courtesy of a Brock Purdy-to-Brandon Aiyuk completion, making it a one-possession game.
Meanwhile, the Lions had a fourth-and-3 from the 49ers’ 30-yard line with 7:32 left in the game. Goff threw an incompletion to Amon-Ra St. Brown, turning the ball over on downs. Kyle Shanahan’s crew scored a touchdown in the succeeding drive, stretching their lead to 10 points at 34-24.
The Lions scored a touchdown to cut the deficit to three points, but the 49ers ran out the clock to preserve the victory.
Dan Campbell will live by his in-game decisions
As The Athletic’s Mike Puleo wrote, Campbell doesn’t regret those costly fourth-down decisions. He said to media members after the game:
“I just felt really good about us converting and getting our momentum and not letting them play long ball. They were bleeding the clock out, that’s what they do, and I wanted to get the upper hand back.”
Still, Dan Campbell and the Lions let the game slip away after building a 24-7 halftime advantage, making these choices more questionable. Instead, they remain one of four NFL teams that haven’t played in the Super Bowl.
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