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Eric Woodyard, ESPNDec 6, 2024, 01:41 AM ET
- Eric Woodyard covers the Detroit Lions for ESPN. He joined ESPN in September 2019 as an NBA reporter dedicated to the Midwest region before switching to his current role in April 2021. The Flint, Mich. native is a graduate of Western Michigan University and has authored/co-authored three books: “Wasted, Ethan’s Talent Search” and “All In: The Kelvin Torbert Story”. He is a proud parent of one son, Ethan. You can follow him on Twitter: @E_Woodyard
DETROIT — Dan Campbell didn’t bat an eye.
Facing fourth-and-inches from Green Bay’s 21-yard line with 43 seconds left in the game and the score tied at 31-31, the Detroit Lions head coach decided to go for it.
The gamble paid off, as Lions running back David Montgomery plowed up the field for 7 yards. The conversion help set up a walk-off kick for Jake Bates, who nailed a 35-yard field goal as time expired to give Detroit a 34-31 win against the Packers. With the victory, the Lions also clinched a playoff spot for the second consecutive season, which hasn’t happened in Detroit since 1994-95.
“I just felt like we needed to end it on offense,” Campbell said. “I did not want to give that ball back and I believed we could get that, and I believed we could convert. I trusted that O-Line and I trusted David, and they came through for us.
“It’s a hell of a call by Ben,” he said, referring to offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. “I knew how I wanted to play this game. The team knew it, and everything in me told me let’s finish this, and we did.”
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For Bates, who was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November, it was his third game-winning kick of the season. His others came on a 52-yard kick in Houston in Week 10 and a 44-yard kick in Week 7 at Minnesota.
But Bates remained even-keeled after Thursday night’s win, even with the Lions riding an 11-game winning streak, which is their longest in franchise history.
“I’m trying to stay as leveled as I can and just be the same person every day. Fipp likes to say, ‘Never ride the rollercoaster,'” Bates said, referring to Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp. “So, not riding the highs, not riding the lows, and just staying right here.”
The Lions had four fourth-down conversions against Green Bay, their most in a game this season and tied for their most in a game in the past 40 seasons, according to ESPN Research.
They became the second team over the past 45 seasons to go for it on fourth down inside the opposing team’s 25-yard line with the score tied in the final minute, according to Elias Sports Bureau. The Cincinnati Bengals also did it in Week 17 of the 2021 season against the Kansas City Chiefs, picking up the first down on a defensive penalty and ultimately kicked a game-winning field goal.
Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown lauded Campbell’s supreme confidence in those moments.
“We knew we were gonna go for it on fourth down all game,” St. Brown said. “That was the plan, but I didn’t know we were gonna go for it at the end there. It kind of surprised me, too. But like I said, we’re used to it now. If he says go for it, we’re all in. I wasn’t in on that play where they got it, but I was confident in the guys on the field.”
Detroit has secured a 12-win season for just the third time in franchise history, joining the 1991 and 2023 squads. But even with a 6-1 record in their last seven games against Green Bay, Campbell said he respects how competitive the NFC North is as the Lions push for a chance to earn the conference’s No. 1 seed.
“Our division is damn good,” Campbell said. “I mean it’s really good. It’s the best division in football in my opinion. We’ve got top-tier talent, we’ve got top-tier coaching and players and the whole deal. The competition is really elite. So I think that’s just another reason why you’ve got to do whatever it takes to win this division, because if you do and you’re able to play at home, it’s gonna go a long way with the teams that we have.”
