Lions coach Dan Campbell's aggressive fourth-down mindset is an integral part of Detroit's identity.
With the Lions one win away from an appearance in Super Bowl LVIII, Campbell's aggressive nature played a pivotal role in swinging the momentum in the 49ers' favor during Detroit's 34-31 loss to San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday at Levi's Stadium.
In speaking to reporters after the game, Campbell explained what led to his decision to go for it on a pair of failed fourth-down conversions that expedited Detroit's second-half collapse.
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"I just felt really good about us converting, and getting our momentum and not letting them play long ball," Campbell told reporters. "[The 49ers] were bleeding the clock out. That's what they do. And I wanted to get the upper hand back.
"And it's easy hindsight, and I get it. I get that. But I don't regret those decisions. And that's hard. It's hard because we didn't come through. It wasn't able to work out, but I don't, I don't.
"And I understand the scrutiny I'll get. That's part of the gig, man. But just didn't work out."
San Francisco 49ers
Detroit dominated the first two quarters, taking a 17-point lead into halftime. The first of Campbell's questionable fourth-down decisions came on the Lions' first possession of the second half.
After the 49ers scored a field goal on the opening drive of the third quarter to cut the Lions' lead to 24-10, Detroit drove into San Francisco territory with a chance to shatter the home team's momentum.
Facing fourth-and-2 from the 49ers' 28-yard line with 7:03 remaining in the third quarter, Campbell bypassed a 45-yard field-goal attempt, leaving his offense on the field before an incompletion by quarterback Jared Goff resulted in a turnover on downs.
Lions kicker Michael Badgley has made 76.5 percent of his field-goal attempts between 40 and 49 yards in his NFL career, converting both of his attempts from 40 or more yards out during the 2023 season.
Had Campbell opted for the field-goal attempt, Detroit would have been able to make it a three-score game had Badgley split the uprights.
Instead, San Francisco got the ball back and quickly found the endzone after an improbable 51-yard catch by Brandon Aiyuk got the 49ers inside the Lions' 10-yard line.
Campbell's second gutsy call came with the Lions trailing 27-24, facing a fourth-and-3 from the 49ers' 30-yard line with 7:32 remaining. Goff threw an incomplete pass intended for Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and once again, Detroit's offense left the field empty-handed.
San Francisco then marched down the field for a seven-play, 70-yard drive on the next drive to push the 49ers' lead to 34-24.
ESPN's analytics model had both decisions with almost an identical impact on Detroit's win-probability percentage.
While Campbell stands by the decisions he made, it will be a tough pill to swallow. Those failed conversions all but sealed the Lions' fate as they watched their Super Bowl dreams crumble before their eyes on the Levi's Stadium turf.
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