Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell is trying too hard to make up for the team's shortcomings. And it's costing them wins.
to the Minnesota Vikings, when his decision to try a 54-yard field goal with 1:14 to play backfired. Campbell should have kept his offense on the field to try and convert a fourth-and-4, or take a delay of game penalty, punt and pin the Vikings deep. He did neither. Austin Seibert missed his kick. And the Vikings marched down a short field, scored a touchdown and won the game.
The Lions should have punted, pinned the Patriots deep and done their best to stay in a one-score game. Fourth-and-9s are not easy to convert, and while Campbell could not have forecast Goff’s careless fumble, he should have heeded his own words when talking about the Patriots last week. I’ve championed Campbell’s aggressive approach to play-calling and must reiterate now: It should not change. The Lions set a modern NFL record Sunday for most fourth-down attempts without a conversion , and most of those tries were grounded in logic or necessary due to the script of the game.
The defense we knew would be bad. Goff’s turnover problems helped push him out of L.A. The Lions’ kicking problems date to their decision 19 months ago to let Matt Prater walk in free agency.The Lions’ issues go far beyond their head coach. Their thin roster has been ravaged by injuries. Their pass rush has disappeared the past two weeks. Their offense is due for regression.
The Lions’ poor start to the season is particularly disappointing given what lies ahead. When they return from the bye, they face a difficult middle third of the season against mostly playoff contenders: The Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers await immediately after the bye, followed by the Chicago Bears, New York Giants and Buffalo Bills.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Lions coach Dan Campbell is wrong. Detroit hasn't hit rock bottom and the sky isn't fallingDan Campbell was emotional again after a 29-0 loss to the Patriots, but the Detroit Lions' forecast isn't as dire as it seems.
Read more »
Detroit Lions outplayed, outcoached in blowout loss to New England Patriots | OpinionThe Lions' rebuild momentum is gone after Sunday's blowout loss to the Patriots, a game in which Detroit was outplayed and outcoached.
Read more »
iPhone 14’s new crash detection mistakes rollercoasters for car accidentsThe feature has sent law enforcement to amusement parks on numerous occasions after mistaking a thrill ride’s twists, turns, and hard braking for a real emergency.
Read more »
That same energy hits different in front of the cameraFor Hector and Jose Polio, being identical twins and being models aren’t that different.
Read more »
Texans at Jaguars: How Houston finally got its first win of the seasonThe Texans are finally in the win column this season, although it didn't exactly come the easy way.
Read more »