It was right there for the taking. The Detroit Lions, lovable losers who have not only never won a Super Bowl but also haven’t reached football’s grandest stage, had their dreams dashed Sunday after losing a 17-point lead to the San Francisco 49ers Sunday in the NFC Championship, delivering even more heartbreak to fans from “The Motor City.”
Everything that could have gone right went right for the Lions in the first half. They scored on the opening possession of the game in just five plays, capped off by a marvelous 42-yard dash to the end zone. Then, rookie 49ers kicker Jake Moody missed a 48-yard field goal, which led to another Lions touchdown drive.
By the time the clock hit triple zeroes in the first half, Detroit held a 24-7 lead. As Lions players, coaches and fans brutally found out, the NFL stands for “Not For Long.”
The 49ers’ second half drive chart went as follows: field goal, touchdown, touchdown, field goal, touchdown, kneel-down. Everything changed in the blink of an eye, and most of the momentum San Francisco gained came after a failed fourth-down attempt by the Lions in 49er territory. It wasn’t a routine play by any means, but a throw quarterback Jared Goff should have made and a catch wide receiver Josh Reynolds – who didn’t have the surest hands on the field that night – should have made.
Many will blame head coach Dan Campbell for the loss – as this wasn’t the last time he elected to go for it instead of attempting a field goal – but not me. There’s an old saying that says, “Go with what got you here,” and hyper-aggressiveness under Campbell’s watch is what got the Lions to this position. Plus, kicker Michael Badgley had not attempted a field goal outdoors during his short tenure in Detroit. A field goal of more than 40 yards was no gimme.
Two plays after the fourth down misfire, San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy fired deep downfield for what looked like a sure interception, only the ball bounced off of Detroit’s Kindle Vindor’s helmet and into the waiting arms of receiver Brandon Aiyuk for a 51-yard gain, setting up a 49ers touchdown. Then on the first play of Detroit’s ensuing possession, star rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs fumbled to set up the game-tying touchdown for San Francisco. By then, the dam had broken.
The decisions to not kick field goals did not lose the game for Detroit. The inability to make plays down the stretch is what doomed the Lions, and those calling for Campbell to be fired are asinine. Before Campbell took over in Detroit, the Lions were a dumpster fire. Heck, they were a dumpster fire in his first 10 games, going 0-10 before finally turning it around. The Lions have found their coach and general manager, Brad Holmes. They have a star wide receiver in Amon-Ra St. Brown, an excellent tight end coming off of a stellar rookie campaign in Sam LaPorta, an elite offensive line, a strong running game, a more-than-capable quarterback in Goff and a defense oozing with young talent, but something Campbell said after the game rings true – this may have been the Lions’ lone opportunity.
"I told those guys, 'This may have been our only shot,’” he told reporters Sunday night in Santa Clara, Calif. “Do I think that? No. Do I believe that? No. However, I know how hard it is to get here. It'll be twice as hard to get back to this point.”
If there’s one thing about Dan Campbell, it’s that the man is honest. He tells it like it is, and he sticks to his beliefs. He stuck to those beliefs and stood by his decisions following the crushing loss – signs of a true leader in my book.
All I can do is feel bad for Lions fans. They were so close to having their dreams realized, but those dreams became nightmares in an almost unfathomable fashion. They’re the closest thing I can think of to the Chicago Cubs pre-2016, and I hope that like Cubs fans, the Lions will have their day soon.
Until then, we now have to listen to two weeks worth of discourse on sports television discussing whether Brock Purdy is either terrible or elite, and whether or not Patrick Mahomes is already better than Tom Brady. Hurray.
