The Detroit Lions fell short against the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving with a 31-24 final score, and once again during this game, Dan Gamble was out to play. Dan Campbell, of course, is his real name, but he’s known as Dan Gamble for his chancy fourth-down calls.
So, the story was the same on Thanksgiving, when the Detroit Lions took on the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field. Campbell continued to have the team go for it on fourth, and he also called all of the offensive plays, but it just didn’t work. The team fell to the Packers, and now, the Detroit Lions are 7-5 and their playoff future is very much in question.
After the game, there was a lot of finger-pointing, but there’s no denying that these high-stakes calls add up. A missed field goal here, another missed fourth down conversion there, it all adds up. So, one of the biggest questions after the game was whether Campbell will continue to go for it on fourth down. Reporters asked Campbell that questions on Thanksgiving, and he had an answer, even though it’s not the answer some would like to hear.
Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell Talks Fourth Down Calls
So, will Campbell stop going for it on fourth? This writer believes it’s just not working, and when you do it as often as he’s been doing it lately, it’s statistically impossible to win. It’s not a feeling. It’s math, statistics and science. It just doesn’t work when you go for it on every fourth.
But, Campbell is the head coach, and he has his own philosophy. When asked if he’ll change on the chancy calls after this game in a postgame presser, he said no.
“A lot of it depends on where the game is at, too. Where the game’s at, the opponent, how your defense is playing,” he said. “Do you feel like you have a really good handle on what you’re going to get from that defense. Who you’re going to and all of those things. Going into it we liked those plays.”
Then, he emphasized, “So no, I wouldn’t say necessarily that’s going to have an effect on me. You always want to convert them, and we’ve had a lot of conversions here. It just didn’t work out here today.”
Detroit Lions Need Help to Get to the Playoffs
Campbell also admitted that the Detroit Lions have dug themselves into a hole if they want to make the playoffs. “It’s more that you need a little help,” he said. “You’ve got to do your job, you’ve got to win and you need a little help. And that’s what it is.”
He added, “But it all starts with you doing your job, which is us, and finding a way to win the next one in front of us. It really is that simple. Don’t make more of it than need be.” Campbell went on to say that it’s “frustrating” and “tough, but we did it to ourselves and we’re the only ones who are going to get out of it as well.”
As Chloe Veltmans of Alternative Fix notes, “Football is a game of strategy and timing as much as heart and fire. And while Campbell’s energy, swagger, and refusal to settle are undeniable, the November results suggest a needed balance is missing.” So, let’s hope Campbell does soul-searching about these chancy plays, and soon.
Lions Coach Dan Campbell Makes Decision on Future Fourth-Down Calls