The Lions use a gutsy 4th-down call to dispatch the Packers in a thrilling NFC North battle

There is no situation where Dan Campbell won’t give it his all on fourth down. We found that out on Thursday evening.

Failing to beat the Green Bay Packers on fourth down at their own 31 early in the second half, the Detroit Lions made a seemingly obvious decision to kick a field goal with 43 seconds left in a tied game. But it wasn’t obvious. The Lions tried, and although Jared Goff fell to the ground on the snap, he passed it to David Montgomery for a 7-yard gain and a first down.

That meant Jordan Love and the Packers had no chance to respond to a field goal.

The Lions won 34-31 with a field goal at the end of the game and secured a place in the playoffs for the second year in a row. The Packers (9-4) were a tough opponent, but the Lions (12-1) found a way to get the win.

“I just felt like we had to finish it on offense,” Campbell told reporters after the game. “I didn’t want to give the ball back and I think we might get it (first down).”

The Lions were tied 31-31 with just a few minutes left and had a weakened defense that was difficult to stop. And Detroit did what a championship team should do: It made all the plays it needed to and got a much-needed win. It was a candidate for Game of the Year, with each team taking turns making big plays. The Lions simply made a few more plays than they needed to. Goff shook off a bad interception, a rare occurrence for him this season, and made some big plays in the second half, including several on a game-winning drive in the final minutes.

And then Campbell’s decision helped put the game away. There may be a time in the playoffs when his aggressiveness backfires, like in last season’s NFC Championship game, but it’s also a big reason Detroit is 12-1 this season and has a franchise record of Won 11 games in a row.

The Lions defense puts pressure on them early

The Lions had numerous defensive injuries early in the game. They compensated by putting a lot of extra pressure on Love.

The Lions led 10-0 a few minutes into the second quarter, and the Packers had just 37 yards and one first down. Whenever Love dropped back, the Lions sent extra blitzers. Love was sacked by Za’Darius Smith on Green Bay’s first offensive play, laying the foundation for an undermanned defense.

The Packers’ counterattack was to run the ball. After falling behind 10-0, they stayed on the ground for most of a drive, had their first sustained drive of the night, and a Lions penalty in the end zone set up Josh Jacobs for a 1-yard touchdown.

The Lions had a drive that took the clock down to the final seconds before halftime, and they faced a four-and-goal from the 2-yard line. Just like he did at the end of the game, Campbell did it all. He passed a field goal and Jahmyr Gibbs caught a 2-yard touchdown pass 11 seconds before halftime. This was a great game and a great performance because Detroit scored without giving Green Bay an answer before halftime.

The Lions defense had played well. Love only had three completions for 31 yards at halftime. It didn’t seem like the offense was great, but it was enough for a 17-7 halftime lead.

The Packers take the lead in the 4th quarter

Thanks to a Goff interception and a failed fourth-down gamble, the Packers took the lead in the fourth quarter. Goff’s interception of Keisean Nixon moved the Packers to the Lions’ 16-yard line, and Jacobs scored a few plays later to give Green Bay a 21-17 lead.

The Lions were good on fourth downs, but even one miss makes everything look bad. The Lions tried fourth-and-1 from their own 31-yard line late in the third quarter. That shouldn’t have been a big surprise. Campbell loves to be aggressive. The Lions had already tried three times on fourth down and won all three. That attempt didn’t work as the Lions threw the ball to Gibbs and the Packers went upfield to stop him well short of the first down. In a game where the Lions led 24-21, this stop in Detroit territory was huge. Jacobs then scored his third touchdown of the game and the Packers had the lead back.

The Lions were not discouraged. With 8:39 minutes left, Patrick scored again and the Lions took the lead again 31:28. Love came right back, avoiding what looked like a sure sack by speedy linebacker Jack Campbell to hit Watson for a 29-yard gain, then hit Dontayvion Wicks for another 26 yards. An offensive pass interference call took a touchdown catch by Jacobs off the field, and the Packers settled for a field goal and a tie with 3:38 left.

Goff went to work. He hit Jameson Williams for 19 yards to start the drive. Gibbs picked up a first down on a screen pass on third-and-7. A holding call set the Lions back, but Goff hit Amon-Ra St. Brown over the middle for a huge 16-yard gain on second-and-17. The Lions didn’t manage a third-and-1 run, but they were back within field goal range. Then came Campbell’s decision, a big first down and the game-winning field goal.

The Lions are keeping their fans in suspense. Campbell wouldn’t have it any other way.