The Detroit Lions completed a regular season sweep of the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football, thanks to a hard-fought 34-31 win. In a dramatic, aggressive, and chippy game, the Lions prevailed. They are now 12-1 and have clinched a playoff place. Here are the significant thoughts from this barnburner.
Dan Campbell Is the Detroit Lions’ Rockstar
Dan Campbell was a critical reason the Detroit Lions won Thursday night. Campbell elected to send his offense out on fourth down on five separate occasions. The Lions successfully converted on four of those attempts. Two of those tries saw Detroit punch the ball into the endzone, while the final, risky one ensured the Packers would not receive the ball again in regulation.
The analytics on that final attempt suggested that Campbell was taking an unnecessary risk. And it certainly felt that way when Jared Goff tripped. But David Montgomery and the right side of the Lions’ offensive line ground out the first down, getting them into the ‘Iceberg’ situation.
Campbell’s decision shocked pundits and fans of other teams, but it did not surprise Lions fans or the players. Speaking on Amazon’s Nightcap show after the game, Jared Goff confirmed that the players were in total lockstep with their head coach.
Goff said:
“We discussed during the week that we would be aggressive on fourth down. Dan told the offense that it was our turn to shoulder the load; we would be aggressive on that down. Dan told us about being assertive and its importance earlier this week.”
Legendary CFB coach Nick Saban backed Campbell’s decisions:
“I think Dan Campbell has shown that he believes in his players, that they’re going to make a half of a yard, a yard, whatever, in that situation. And I agree with the analysis that if they kick a field goal with 43 seconds left, Green Bay goes down the field, and maybe they kick a field goal or score a touchdown. If you can win the game on offense, do it.”
After the national media derided Dan Campbell in 2021, he has one of the greatest coaches ever praising him. Campbell understands his locker room, the organization, the fans and the game situations in a brutally unique way.
And Campbell’s signal-caller summed it up perfectly. Charissa Thompson asked Goff what Dan Campbell means to the team, and Goff underlined precisely what the big Texan means:
“He means a lot to us, a ton. He’s our rock; he’s our center. He tells us everything during the week, and then he makes those calls on gameday. That final call took effing stones. We love him for those moments. The way he believes in us means a lot.”
Jared Goff Enjoyed Another Surgical Night
Jared Goff put in another surgical, incisive, gutsy performance to propel the Lions to victory. It was not an explosive passing day for Goff; he only averaged 6.9 yards per attempt on 32 passes. However, when presented with them, Goff took his opportunities, smartly distributing the ball to an array of playmakers.
Per Opta Stats, Goff became the first quarterback in NFL history to complete passes to six different receivers, each registering at least five receptions. On a night when the offensive line’s interior struggled, Goff wisely manipulated the pocket and found his targets. Tim Patrick enjoyed his best day as a Lion with two touchdowns. The former Denver Bronco has quickly become a reliable target, and the veteran deservedly earned a game ball.
Moreover, Goff was outstanding on in-breaking throws. Goff completed 14 of 17 passes on in-breaking routes per Next Gen Stats, notching two touchdowns and 152 total yards.
And lastly, Goff was 13 of 13 in the fourth quarter. When the Detroit Lions needed their number-one quarterback the most, Goff came up clutch again. Other quarterbacks may provide more spectacular highlights, but Goff has become Detroit’s metronome.
The Northern Savages Found a Way
In his post-game press conference, Dan Campbell referred to his defense as ‘The Northern Savages.’ With so many injuries and new players coming in, it was understandable that the Lions would surrender points to Green Bay.
But somehow, Aaron Glenn and his defensive staff put together a battling, tenacious performance from a ragtag group of defenders. Pat O’Connor was a menace all game. Myles Adams played 19 snaps, recording two quarterback hurries and a stop.
Trevor Nowaske flew around the field, tattooing anyone. Nowaske nailed Tucker Kraft on one particular play. David Long recovered a key fumble, while Ezekiel Turner tackled Jordan Love for a crucial third-down stop in the fourth quarter. Mitchell Agude and Al-Quadin Muhammad also made big plays.
Second-year linebacker Jack Campbell marshalled his teammates excellently on the field. Campbell enjoyed one of his best games in a Lions uniform. The Iowa product has stepped up in Alex Anzalone’s absence.
Dan Campbell praised Glenn and the defensive staff for trimming the playbook and limiting the learning curve for the new players. The coaches asked their players to play with effort, hit hard, and be relentless. They got all of that and more. With reinforcements on their way soon and the mini-bye, hopefully, the Lions can start putting more wrinkles into the defense.