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DETROIT — In his comments following a 48-42 loss to Buffalo on Sunday, Lions coach Dan Campbell acknowledged that his decision to attempt an onside kick while trailing by 10 points and a full 12 minutes remaining in the game did not work out.
Some had deemed the move to be risky and reckless and analytically unsound. It happens often with Campbell, who is known for an aggressiveness that, somehow, often finds himself at odds with both old-school, conservative football minds and modern number crunchers.
His critics found “I told you so” solace in his admission, although it wasn’t his strategy he was saying was regrettable, just the outcome of the play — Buffalo’s Mack Hollins grabbing the bouncing ball on the fly and returning it 38 yards to the Lions 5-yard line.
“Obviously, now sitting there in hindsight, with them taking it down to the [five] yard line, yeah, I wish I hadn’t done that,” Campbell said. “But it is what it is.”
And it isn’t changing.
In fact, it will likely increase as injuries continue to decimate the Lions roster — the latest being star running back David Montgomery likely lost for the season with a torn MCL in his knee.
The most telling insight into Campbell’s thinking came later in the press conference, when he brushed off the excuse that injuries to the Lions defense — which lost three more players Sunday to go with 15 previously on Injured Reserve — was the reason they lost to the Bills.
Campbell said it isn’t in his thoughts.
“I think much more about finding ways to win games,” Campbell said.
Campbell has become the NFL’s most intriguing coach because of that philosophy right there — he is constantly trying to find ways to win games.
All coaches are, of course. Campbell just takes it to the extreme with a combination of science (analytics) and art (his feel for the flow of the game). Mostly it’s about control, and Campbell wants as much of it as possible.
Campbell knows the numbers, but he isn’t married…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/no-dan-campbells-onside-kick-call-wasnt-a-reckless-gamble-202754397.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-12-16 20:27:00
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