A Lions player has publicly defended head coach Dan Campbell’s disastrous fourth-down gambles during the NFC Championship game.
In a post published in The Players Tribune, linebacker Alex Anzalone supported his head coach.
On the fourth down call, Dan had all of us behind him. Let’s start by addressing that. We would all repeat it if time could be turned back. One hundred percent of the time. The transgression. The protection. Everyone in the group. If you have followed this team’s progress over the past three seasons, you are familiar with our style of football play. You understand the mindset that led us to this point,” wrote Anzalone.
“It was the right choice, and no, I’m not talking about the right choice for talk radio, analytics, or anything else. We made the appropriate decision at that precise moment. It’s not like a video game when you’re in that circumstance, 20 games into an NFL season. You are not engaging in ‘Madden’.
“There were guys playing with their ankles in a funny way.” Men with sprained MCLs playing. Guys receiving toradol injections and nerve shots. Guys who have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning. That time of year, it’s a struggle of wills. All you’re using for energy is pure faith and adrenaline.
“I believe that by denying who you are in that situation, you are betraying the very thing that brought you there.”
The Lions failed to convert both times that Campbell chose to go for it on fourth down in the second half of the NFC title game against the Niners, instead of bringing out kicker Michael Badgley.
Anzalone did, however, note that it would have been inconsistent with the Lions’ winning strategy to kick the field goal and advance to the Super Bowl.
“In that scenario, we always go for the kill on fourth down. In just a few seasons, that approach carried us from 0-10-1 to the NFC Championship game. To be honest, I was astonished more when we opted to kick a field goal in the first half, the linebacker wrote.
“Detroit will always bet on Detroit when the chips are down.”
Wide receiver Josh Reynolds would have scored a touchdown on one of the Lions’ fourth-down plays if he had managed to hold onto a catchable pass from quarterback Jared Goff.
Surprisingly enough, on fourth and goal from the Niners’ three-yard line at the end of the first half, the Lions decided to attempt a field goal instead of going for it.
After the game, Campbell told reporters that he wouldn’t have made any other decisions on the fourth-down calls.
