Since taking over as head coach of the Detroit Lions in January 2021, Dan Campbell has developed a reputation as an inveterate gambler.
Sunday, in the league final vs San Francisco 49ers Campbell did nothing to remove that designation.
And if this tendency to trust his offense more than the average NFL coach has smiled at him more than once in the past, he inevitably exposes himself to criticism in the event of failure.
This is what awaits Campbell after two choices in fourth place, which made many wonder, at a time when his Lions were trying to continue moving amid the collapse of the second half, which ended with a loss 34 to 31 to San Francisco 49ers.
While with the media after the match, clearly shaken by the turn of events, Campbell weighed his words on the podium without being shy.
He rubbed his face with his hand for several seconds as a sign of annoyance, and tried his best to explain himself.
Campbell's first bold decision came relatively early in the third quarter, after his defensive unit held the 49ers to a field goal to close the score to 24-10.
We'll never know how much the dynamics of the meeting would have changed had Detroit regained its 17-point advantage instead of committing the turnover.
“I had a good feeling about our chances of turning around,” he immediately summed up. I saw it as an opportunity to regain momentum, and slow them down somewhat. They clocked the seconds on the stopwatch. This is what they do well. I wanted to regain the upper hand. »
“Looking back, it's always easy. I understand that… but I have to say I don't regret these decisions [de ne pas opter pour les trois points qu’auraient procuré un botté de précision]. I accept the fact that my decisions will be scrutinized. “The result was simply not what we were aiming for,” he said.
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