The Detroit Lions held a 31-24 lead over the Baltimore Ravens as they faced a fourth-and-2 situation around midfield with just under two minutes remaining in regulation of Monday night’s game.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell kept his offense on the field for a play that ultimately helped his team secure a 38-30 win, improving its record to 2-1 on the season. Following the victory, Campbell explained his decision.
Why Dan Campbell didn’t punt late in Lions’ win over Ravens
“I got a tremendous amount of trust in those guys and that’s been built up now in five years,” Campbell said, per Sports Illustrated’s Blake Silverman. “And that helps. And that offensive line and the way they were playing, it felt like that was the right call. It’s those guys. It’s the players, man. They’re the ones who make this stuff come to life, and they’ve earned that trust. They step up and make huge plays at critical times, and it’s unbelievable, it really is. It’s a thing of beauty.”
Quarterback Jared Goff and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown rewarded Campbell by connecting for a 20-yard gain that extended Detroit’s drive. The visitors then iced the game away on the very next play.
Campbell received plenty of criticism from fans and analysts after he passed on attempting makeable field goals in fourth-down situations during the 2024 NFC Championship Game that Detroit lost to the San Francisco 49ers. Nevertheless, Campbell has routinely continued to trust his offense on fourth-down plays.
According to The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy, the Lions converted all three of their fourth-down attempts against the Ravens.
Lions going for it on key fourth down was a “no-brainer”
“No-brainer to me,” Lions right tackle Penei Sewell said about Campbell’s huge call. “I mean, I’ve kind of known the man for quite some time now. I wasn’t thinking about coming off. I was just waiting for the play call.”
As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Lions third among the betting favorites at +475 odds to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LX. Following Monday’s victory, Lions cornerback D.J. Reed told Pouncy that participating in “big games” during a season was one reason Reed signed with Detroit in March.
“Coach Campbell does a good job of talking about situational football, and not only talking about it, but putting us in situations during walk-throughs and during real practice,” Reed added. “So when we get in moments like these, it’s not a big deal. We’ve been through it already.”
The Lions next host the 1-2 Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
