One Lions player has vocally defended head coach Dan Campbell’s unfortunate fourth-down gamble in the NFC Championship Game.
Linebacker Alex Anzalone I wrote an article for the Players Tribune. Backing up his head coach.
“Everyone was behind Dunn on the fourth down call. Let’s get that out of the way first. If we could go back in time, we’d all do it all over again. 100 out of 100 times. . Crime. Defense. Guys. If you’ve followed this team over the past three years, you know how we play football. You know the mentality that got us here.” wrote Anzalone.
“It was the right decision. I’m not talking about the right decision for analytics or talk radio or anything like that. It was the right call. we, especially at that moment. In that situation, where the NFL season has started and he’s finished 20 games, it’s not a video game. You’re not playing “Madden.”
“There were guys playing with ankle injuries. Guys playing with MCL sprains. Guys getting nerve injections and Toradol. Guys who could barely get out of bed that morning. Season. At that point it’s a battle of wills. You’re just running on pure faith and adrenaline.
“I feel like to avoid my identity in that moment would be to betray the very thing that got me there.”
Twice late in the NFC title game against the Niners, Campbell chose to go for it on fourth down instead of ejecting kicker Michael Badgley, and both times the Lions failed to score.
Nevertheless, Anzalone pointed out that kicking a field goal was inappropriate for what brought the Lions to the brink of the Super Bowl.
“Fourth down, in that situation, we always go for the kill. That mentality is what took us from 0-10-1 to the NFC Championship Game in just a few seasons. Honestly, if anything, we were on the field in the first half. I was more surprised when I scored a goal. after that,” the linebacker wrote.
“When the chips are down, Detroit always bets on Detroit.”
One of the Lions’ fourth-down calls would have been converted if wideout Josh Reynolds had kept a catchable ball thrown by quarterback Jared Goff.
It’s a bit surprising, but the Lions did Facing fourth and goal from the Niners’ 3-yard line, he elected to kick a field goal at the end of the first half.
After the game, Campbell told reporters he wouldn’t have done anything differently on the fourth-down call.
“It’s easy to think about it in hindsight. Okay. I get that, but I don’t regret that decision and it’s tough,” he said.
“It’s tough because we didn’t get results and things didn’t go well, but that’s not me. And I understand that I’m going to be under a lot of scrutiny, but that’s part of the job, but… That didn’t work.”
