Pride of Detroit
Many questioned a third-down play call the Detroit Lions ran in the playoffs that resulted in a fumble. Here’s why Dan Campbell is standing by it.
Without a doubt, one of the most pivotal plays in the Detroit Lions’ Divisional Round loss to the Washington Commanders happened late in the first quarter on a third-and-1 play. The Lions had the ball at Washington’s 17-yard line, looking to build on their 7-3 lead. It was really the first and last time the Lions had true control of the game.
Unfortunately, disaster struck for the Lions. Jared Goff was sacked, fumbled, and Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu recovered. Washington took the ensuing possession for a touchdown, gaining the lead for the first time, and they were off to the races.
That play call has come under fire by many fans and analysts. Not only did the Lions opt to throw over running on a third-and-short, but they had an empty backfield, so they let the defense know they were passing.
However, even two days after the game, Lions coach Dan Campbell said he did not regret the call, and that he’d do it again. Let’s examine his comments on the play and look back at the film to see how this critical moment went so awry.
According to Campbell, part of the reason the Lions called that play in the moment is because of their comfortability with it.
“It’s a play we’ve run, man, I don’t know, 50 times this year or something, and it just didn’t – it didn’t work out,” Campbell said.
It’s not only a play they’re very comfortable with, it’s a formation they are familiar with running on third-and-short. Per Timo Riske of PFF, the Lions went with an empty backfield on third-and-short eight times this season. They converted on six of those eight plays, a conversion rate on par with all third-and-shorts.
It may seem immaterial given that the Lions turned the ball over, but Campbell said the intention was for the team to go for it on fourth down had they not converted—and not turned the ball over.
“We were ready to go for it on fourth, so we’d run it on fourth if that didn’t take place,” Campbell said.
Perhaps the best way to think of Detroit’s strategy is that they treat each down like the one before it. It’s extremely common for teams to open up the playbook on second-and-short, knowing they can revert to the run on third-and-short. That, in essence, was what Campbell was doing. Why not take a shot through the air when the defense may not know what’s coming?
“We liked the matchup with (Amon-Ra St. Brown) Saint on (Bobby) Wagner,” Campbell said.
Here’s a look at what the play looked like pre-snap:
The Lions are four wide, and the Commanders initially...
