Dan Campbell Went for It at His Own 24, and the Lions Defense Made Him Right

Lions fans, you know the feeling by now. Fourth-and-1, your own 24, tie game, 4:53 left, and Dan Campbell keeps the offense on the field.

Our Take: We'd have punted. But Campbell's logic held up, and the bigger story is a Lions defense that made him right when it mattered most.

Per NBC Sports, Campbell explained it after the game: "I thought we would get it, number one. I really believed we would get that. Number two, I knew we would get the ball back if it didn't work out." It didn't work. Jahmyr Gibbs was tackled for a loss of two yards, handing the other side a short field.

Then the defense answered. That four-play drive ended in a missed field goal, tipped by DJ Wonnum, as Pride Of Detroit noted. Detroit marched back down the field, drained the clock, and Jake Bates won it 20-17 with the final kick.

NBC Sports also pointed out the hidden upside: going for it meant the other team couldn't run all 4:53 off the clock. Campbell was wrong that they'd convert, but right that they'd get the ball back.

Pride Of Detroit asked whether Campbell takes too many risks and landed on no. We mostly agree. Trusting Gibbs behind Penei Sewell for one yard isn't crazy. Doing it deep in your own territory with a playoff-caliber roster is a much closer call.

What to watch: the short-yardage run game this week. If one yard keeps being a problem, these fourth-down calls will keep getting tested.

Sources: NBC Sports, Pride Of Detroit