Getty Dan Campbell walking the sideline for the Lions in 2022.
The Detroit Lions are getting set for a major game against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14, and there’s more than a little bit of regret
Detroit led most of the way in Minnesota until a fourth quarter meltdown killed their chances of winning a close game. The Lions had 14-0 lead early and a 24-14 lead in the second half, but allowed both to slip away in a 28-24 defeat.
Dan Campbell clearly hasn’t forgotten about his role in the team’s defeat. Campbell made a questionable coaching call attempting a 54 yard field goal late in the game on fourth down. Then-kicker Austin Seibert missed, and Minnesota quickly scored a back-breaking touchdown.
The coach could have punted with Jack Fox, who has an electric leg. Or he could have gone for it, which would have effectively iced the game had Detroit made it. The Lions were, after all, 4-6 on fourth down conversions that day.
Campbell hasn’t forgotten that exchange and isn’t likely to forget. Not until he dies, anyway. That’s by his own admission when speaking to the media on Wednesday, December 7.
“Yeah look, it burns me. Of course it burns me. That will be there until the day I die. That’s not going to go away. But I also know I can’t wallow in that and let that pull me down. It is what it is. It happened for a reason. Honestly, I think us losing five in a row is why we’re at where we’re at right now. Maybe we needed this to happen to get where we are at this point,” Campbell said honestly.
The biggest reason it hurt him? The fact that he believes he let his players down even though they said the opposite after the game.
“That to me, I let my players down. It’s hard enough to have success and win in this league without your coach doing something that pulls you back and I felt like that was one of those,” he admitted.
The Lions, as Campbell points out, have rebounded in a big way to win four of five games to get back into the playoff race. If they beat Minnesota this week, everything negative from Week 3 could be erased. That’s the good news.
It clearly doesn’t change how he feels about that game and that experience, though.
Campbell Shared Frustration With Lions’ Week 3 Loss
In terms of his own reaction to the loss at the time, Campbell admitted that if he had the decision to do over, he would have gone for it on fourth down. Speaking to the media after the game, Campbell’s regret seemed palpable.
As he said, he told the team that if he had a do over on the game, it would have been done differently in that situation.
Coach Campbell on the decision to attempt a FG instead of going for it late in today’s game
“I freaking regret my decision there at the end. I should have gone for that fourth down. I told the team that. I should have gone for it,” Campbell said at the time, owning his mistake.
As many pointed out at the time, it seemed like the analytics and everything else would have agree with the decision to go. It’s also clear that Campbell has made the most of the experience in terms of using it as a learning curve.
Campbell Coaching Much Better Since Minnesota Debacle
As upset as Campbell was and is about what transpired, it also looks like he used the game as a significant teaching moment as an NFL coach.
Ever since, the team seems to have had more buttoned-up decision making. There’s been less confusion and more conviction. It helps that Campbell also seems to have a kicker that he can trust now in Michael Badgley, and an offense that has started to click. Defensively, Detroit’s better too.
When asked how he has become a better coach since that fateful game, Campbell himself said that he didn’t believe he has changed at all, and remains the same coach that he was that day.
“I think I’m the same guy. I don’t feel like I’ve grown, I’m doing everything the same. I made a decision that game and here we are. So, I really don’t,” he said.
While he might think that’s the case, Campbell may be speaking modestly. Quickly after the game he admitted he was wrong, and the decision still frustrates him. That shows he cares, and shows he is willing to grow. The way his team has improved also shows change.
Campbell has clearly moved forward in a big way and uses every experience as a chance to get better. Bet on the motivation from this past mistake pushing Campbell to continue to do a great job on the field.