Lions?

[Stream Hawk]

I just thought I’d mention how stoked I am on this team. Built the correct way - from the lines out. They are currently rolling the Niners and I think they can pull this off.

Yes, Ben Johnson would be an awesome coach for us, but either way shutting down the Niners with a healthy Purdy & Deebo with good weather, you gotta love it as a Hawk fan! I’m OK with MacDonald or Johnson changing of the guard starting next year. Regardless, the Lions are a fun team!

[4XPIPS]

OMG!! 3rd and 18 Pete would have ran the ball and punted, heck no with this Lions team, 3rd and 18 and they dial up a beautiful inside post and snag that 1st. Loving it!! I am so stoked for the Lions. Beat down these whiners. Yes both coordinators are doing their jobs. Be very happy with either. As I mentioned before Mike MacDonald did his job, and Ben Johnson is dicing up these whiners.

[Aseahawkfan]

I am a Lions fan right now. Really want them to go all the way.

I never thought I would ever see the Lions in the Super Bowl. They are a lot like Cleveland. But their new head coach is a hell of a coach.

[RiverDog]

I'm all in for the Lions, too. Who wouldn't want to play for Dan Campbell?

We went to the Lions-Hawks game in Detroit in 2022. Great fans, and a very underrated city. Fantastic trip.

[Aseahawkfan]

Lions made a stupid call not kicking that field goal and gave momentum to the 49ers. That has cost them dearly. And that is why they are the Lions.

[Stream Hawk]

OK. This didn’t age well. It would help if the lines aren’t completely giving this one away. Cambell needs to calm some nerves; no more dropped passes.

[Aseahawkfan]

Campbell is a gigantic idiot. Wow. He had the 49es on the ropes and let them get up with stupid decision after stupid decision.

[RiverDog]

Yeah, Campbell got cute. It's not a bad strategy to go for it early in the game when you have time to make up for it if you don't make it, but not in the 4th quarter. Take the frigging points and make it a one score game, give your team a chance to win.

I also didn't like that 3rd and goal play call from our potential HC. Throw the ball twice and save your timeouts.

Oh, well....Niners and Chiefs in the Superb Owl. Yawn.

[Aseahawkfan]

Not even going to watch. I don't like either of those teams.

[RiverDog]

Not even going to watch. I don't like either of those teams.

I've watched every single Super Bowl game in its entirety and live as it happened. I'm not stopping now.

[curmudgeon]

This SB will be the first I have not watched. Zero interest in the Tay Tay all the time psyop messaging……

[Spohawk5092]

This SB will be the first I have not watched. Zero interest in the Tay Tay all the time psyop messaging……

your not alone. Zero interest in either team.

[Oly]

I'm an atheist who celebrates Christmas, so I can celebrate Super Bowl Sunday as a hater. I get together with some friends who are fellow beer nerds and we have fun prop bets for useless prizes while we enjoy some good imperial stouts.

[Agent 86]

The decisions that Dan Campbell made yesterday on the passing of the FG attempts to make it 27-10 (and take momentum back with an answer to their 3 to start the 2nd half) and then the one to tie the game at 27 is absolutely mind boggling. A coach stuck in his ways, going with what got him there instead of realizing the situation isn't the same as a regular season game. Some of the poorest coach management I can ever recall.

If you have not watched this yet (probably haven't and not sure the link will work as it's from a Canadian show), watch our boy Luke Willson tear into Campbell, and deservedly so. Other than the debacle of a play at the end of 49, Willson said the two decisions by Campbell are up there at 2 and 3 as the worst play calls he can recall in his time.

I am still shaking my head at what he could have possibly been thinking. Who goes for it on 4th and 2 with a 14 point lead on the road when you have a 46 yard FG attempt in good conditions to answer back the 3 your opponent just got, make it a 3 score game again, and suck the life back out of the stadium? The benefit of converting is no where close to the ramifications of you failing that conversion, everyone knows that. Except Dan Campbell. This was a coach that put all his players and coaches under undue stress and pressure in a bad way, and we see how they all responded.

Am I too harsh on Campbell? I think if I was a Lions fan, for all the good this man has done for your organization, this to me is almost unforgivable. I think Luke Willson is spot on. I feel he speaks for all Seahawks fans on this one cause we all don't like the 49ers and wanted them to lose.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99wetrF3XCU


PS....Luke Willson has been doing football coverage on TSN now for 2 years I think, and is simply awesome. I love his takes and being an ex Seahawk who I always liked, I find I agree with most of his takes.

[RiverDog]

The decisions that Dan Campbell made yesterday on the passing of the FG attempts to make it 27-10 (and take momentum back with an answer to their 3 to start the 2nd half) and then the one to tie the game at 27 is absolutely mind boggling. A coach stuck in his ways, going with what got him there instead of realizing the situation isn't the same as a regular season game. Some of the poorest coach management I can ever recall.

If you have not watched this yet (probably haven't and not sure the link will work as it's from a Canadian show), watch our boy Luke Willson tear into Campbell, and deservedly so. Other than the debacle of a play at the end of 49, Willson said the two decisions by Campbell are up there at 2 and 3 as the worst play calls he can recall in his time.

I am still shaking my head at what he could have possibly been thinking. Who goes for it on 4th and 2 with a 14 point lead on the road when you have a 46 yard FG attempt in good conditions to answer back the 3 your opponent just got, make it a 3 score game again, and suck the life back out of the stadium? The benefit of converting is no where close to the ramifications of you failing that conversion, everyone knows that. Except Dan Campbell. This was a coach that put all his players and coaches under undue stress and pressure in a bad way, and we see how they all responded.

Am I too harsh on Campbell? I think if I was a Lions fan, for all the good this man has done for your organization, this to me is almost unforgivable. I think Luke Willson is spot on. I feel he speaks for all Seahawks fans on this one cause we all don't like the 49ers and wanted them to lose.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99wetrF3XCU


PS....Luke Willson has been doing football coverage on TSN now for 2 years I think, and is simply awesome. I love his takes and being an ex Seahawk who I always liked, I find I agree with most of his takes.

Yeah, if it's me, halfway through the 3rd quarter I think you take the points and go up by 3 scores. But on the other hand, they had the right play called (hats off to Ben Johnson) but the players didn't execute, and a 46-yard FG is by no means a gimme. The Niners missed one from about that same distance earlier in the game.

Campbell has made a living off of going for it in those situations and that's how the Lions players are wired. Settling for a FG might have sent the wrong signal to his team if he suddenly changed his mode from playing to win to playing not to lose, so in that regard, I do think you're being a bit harsh on him.

Here's an article that discusses the dilemma that Campbell faced:

Badgley's probability isn't as easy to evaluate as it would be for other kickers, as he attempted only six field goals this season, including the playoffs. Badgley had made all six, but he attempted only two from 40 or more yards: a 41-yarder in the regular season and a 54-yard try in the playoffs.

There are caveats, though. All six of Badgley's field goals came in a dome, and he also missed two extra points in 23 tries leading up to Sunday's game.

What about the rest of Badgley's career? He's five-of-13 (38.5 percent) from 50 or more yards, though four of his eight misses came during a difficult 2020 season. Badgley went two-of-three from 50 or more yards with the Lions in 2022 and didn't attempt a kick from 50 or more yards this season until the wild-card win over the Rams.

Badgley is 37-of-48 (77.1 percent) from 40-49 yards in his career, though that mark improves to 85.2 percent over the past three seasons.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/new ... 5b317d9b51

[4XPIPS]

Yeah, Campbell got cute. It's not a bad strategy to go for it early in the game when you have time to make up for it if you don't make it, but not in the 4th quarter. Take the frigging points and make it a one score game, give your team a chance to win.

I also didn't like that 3rd and goal play call from our potential HC. Throw the ball twice and save your timeouts.

Oh, well....Niners and Chiefs in the Superb Owl. Yawn.

I think Campbell called a good game, and it his MO to go on 4th downs and you have to live with in your DNA. Campbell isn't dropping passes on critical third down plays when Goff is putting where it is suppose to be. if Sutton actually intercepts that deep ball that bounces off his mask into the hands of Aiyuk, that changes the game. If the punt return team downs the ball at the 1 yard line instead of stepping into the end zone. This game came down a few big plays that bounced the whiners way. I didn't have an issue with the way Campbell/Johnson called the game. Just when it came down certain big plays the Lions missed their opportunities, and fortune was on the side of the 49ers.

[curmudgeon]

if Sutton actually intercepts that deep ball that bounces off his mask into the hands of Aiyuk, that changes the game.

There was a flag on the play that was picked up. I guarantee you that had the pass been intercepted or incomplete PI would have been called on Sutton……

[RiverDog]

Yeah, Campbell got cute. It's not a bad strategy to go for it early in the game when you have time to make up for it if you don't make it, but not in the 4th quarter. Take the frigging points and make it a one score game, give your team a chance to win.

I also didn't like that 3rd and goal play call from our potential HC. Throw the ball twice and save your timeouts.

Oh, well....Niners and Chiefs in the Superb Owl. Yawn.

I think Campbell called a good game, and it his MO to go on 4th downs and you have to live with in your DNA. Campbell isn't dropping passes on critical third down plays when Goff is putting where it is suppose to be. if Sutton actually intercepts that deep ball that bounces off his mask into the hands of Aiyuk, that changes the game. If the punt return team downs the ball at the 1 yard line instead of stepping into the end zone. This game came down a few big plays that bounced the whiners way. I didn't have an issue with the way Campbell/Johnson called the game. Just when it came down certain big plays the Lions missed their opportunities, and fortune was on the side of the 49ers.

Yeah, there were a lot of very close plays that had they gone the other way, would have completely changed the outcome, and not just those that favored the Lions. But the one that gets all the publicity is the coaching decisions because we can more easily put ourselves into that position. There were two huge plays in the 3rd quarter that swung the balance: Jahmyr Gibbs' fumble and Brandon Aiyuk's 51-yard gain on a pass that should have been picked. Plus, the Lions had three critical drops, one by TE Sam LaPorta and 2 by WR Josh Reynolds. If any of those go the other way, we could very well be having a much different conversation.

Campbell called a good game relative to his style, which I think is what you're saying. As a coach or any other person in authority, you want to be consistent, and as you said, it's in his DNA to go for it in that situation. Besides, analytics called the decision a tossup:

https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2024/1/29/ ... ship-49ers

As they say, hindsight is 20/20. All I know is that my gut instinct was to take the points. But then again, I'm old school.

[Aseahawkfan]

As I see it, the Lions handed the game to the 49ers when they went for it on 4th down the first time and were stopped. That's when games come down to intuitive coaching. The proper play there was to take the points and keep your foot on the 49ers neck and keep your momentum.

Campbell got aggressive. The 49ers stuffed them. Thus the 49ers took the momentum from the Lions and it picked up their entire them. Then they never let up.

It's those kind of intuitive coaching mistakes that turn guys like Bill B into legends and guys like Dan Campbell into forgotten coaches after they continue to screw up their opportunities. I truly believe had Dan Campbell calmed his hormones, went I'm up by 17, and I need to keep piling on points making the 49ers play from behind while I keep piling on points and grinding them down, the Lions would have won. But Dan Campbell failed his intuitive coaching chances and it cost the Lions dearly.

[Aseahawkfan]

Yeah, there were a lot of very close plays that had they gone the other way, would have completely changed the outcome, and not just those that favored the Lions. But the one that gets all the publicity is the coaching decisions because we can more easily put ourselves into that position. There were two huge plays in the 3rd quarter that swung the balance: Jahmyr Gibbs' fumble and Brandon Aiyuk's 51-yard gain on a pass that should have been picked. Plus, the Lions had three critical drops, one by TE Sam LaPorta and 2 by WR Josh Reynolds. If any of those go the other way, we could very well be having a much different conversation.

Campbell called a good game relative to his style, which I think is what you're saying. As a coach or any other person in authority, you want to be consistent, and as you said, it's in his DNA to go for it in that situation. Besides, analytics called the decision a tossup:

https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2024/1/29/ ... ship-49ers

As they say, hindsight is 20/20. All I know is that my gut instinct was to take the points. But then again, I'm old school.

He should have taken the points. He gambled and the 49ers punched the Lions in the gut on that gamble. Took the air out of them and got up off the mat energized. That's what can happen when you play too aggressively and gamble too often. Gambler coaches can look great when their gambles pay off, but get utterly crushed when they don't. I haven't seen too many gamblers become dominant coaches too often. The best coaches make good intuitive coaching decisions that when combined with the lucky bounce of the ball lead to wins in the big games.

[Agent 86]

I think Campbell called a good game, and it his MO to go on 4th downs and you have to live with in your DNA. Campbell isn't dropping passes on critical third down plays when Goff is putting where it is suppose to be. if Sutton actually intercepts that deep ball that bounces off his mask into the hands of Aiyuk, that changes the game. If the punt return team downs the ball at the 1 yard line instead of stepping into the end zone. This game came down a few big plays that bounced the whiners way. I didn't have an issue with the way Campbell/Johnson called the game. Just when it came down certain big plays the Lions missed their opportunities, and fortune was on the side of the 49ers.

While I agree Campbell didn't drop the passes, or fumble the ball, or put his foot in the end zone to make it a touchback instead of the ball at the 1 yard line, it was his decision to go for that 4th and 2 up 14 points that put his players in those positions that if they failed, the momentum would keep on rolling the 49ers way. It was him MO to go for it all year, doesn't mean you have to do it every time. No Lion would have gone back to the sidelines if they went up 27-10 thinking WTF did we kick a FG for?

I'm guess I am dug in on this one, no one will convince me otherwise. It was a mind boggling decision and I said that in real time before they snapped the ball on that 4th down. It was a chance to let the other team back in it and gain momentum, the best team on paper in the NFL. He had them down, nearly out, and let em up with an egotistical decision. "This is who we are, and we will do what we always do".

Did anyone watch the Luke Willson video I linked? I thought it was pure gold.

[Stream Hawk]

I did watch that video, 86. Luke was destroying Campbell. He was apt on all of his craziest statements. Love that guy.

Yeah, it really makes no sense when Detroit was already up by two scores to not kick the fg. Adding 3 points right there would have been almost as bad as a touchdown. Really sucks for Detroit community. So much of the football world (outside of NoCal) was on their sides. That game gonna be tough to get over.

Plus side…Now, somehow bring Ben Johnson here!

[4XPIPS]

While I agree Campbell didn't drop the passes, or fumble the ball, or put his foot in the end zone to make it a touchback instead of the ball at the 1 yard line, it was his decision to go for that 4th and 2 up 14 points that put his players in those positions that if they failed, the momentum would keep on rolling the 49ers way. It was him MO to go for it all year, doesn't mean you have to do it every time. No Lion would have gone back to the sidelines if they went up 27-10 thinking WTF did we kick a FG for?

I'm guess I am dug in on this one, no one will convince me otherwise. It was a mind boggling decision and I said that in real time before they snapped the ball on that 4th down. It was a chance to let the other team back in it and gain momentum, the best team on paper in the NFL. He had them down, nearly out, and let em up with an egotistical decision. "This is who we are, and we will do what we always do".

Did anyone watch the Luke Willson video I linked? I thought it was pure gold.

I don't disagree with you one bit, and yes hindsight is always 20/20 after the fact and there were some decisions in the game that Campbell made that he may live to regret. The decision to not kick makeable FGs and force a three score game was a fail on his approach, and ultimately may have been the deciding factor in this game. However, the overall body of work on how the game was called IMO was enough for the Lions to win the game and yet it wasn't because of the aforementioned plays that bounced in favor of the whiners. The Lions were in a lot of close games all season, and there were times the "aggressive going on 4th down" paid off and ultimately got them to where they were. Again, just my opinion I was pleased to see a coach go for it all and watch his players play hard for him. Did it work out, no? But at the end of the day they were good enough to be the whiners and they came up short, and maybe in Campbell's young coaching career he can learn from this. They have a lot of young rookies who are already big contributors, should be a top tier team for sometime.

[Agent 86]

I don't disagree with you one bit, and yes hindsight is always 20/20 after the fact and there were some decisions in the game that Campbell made that he may live to regret. The decision to not kick makeable FGs and force a three score game was a fail on his approach, and ultimately may have been the deciding factor in this game. However, the overall body of work on how the game was called IMO was enough for the Lions to win the game and yet it wasn't because of the aforementioned plays that bounced in favor of the whiners. The Lions were in a lot of close games all season, and there were times the "aggressive going on 4th down" paid off and ultimately got them to where they were. Again, just my opinion I was pleased to see a coach go for it all and watch his players play hard for him. Did it work out, no? But at the end of the day they were good enough to be the whiners and they came up short, and maybe in Campbell's young coaching career he can learn from this. They have a lot of young rookies who are already big contributors, should be a top tier team for sometime.

Absolutley 4XPIPS, I totally see your point. I knowingly am placing too much blame on Campbell. I think Luke Willson's take, him being a former Seahawk (hates the 49ers), a former Lion, and native of Windsor, Ontario, which is a hop, skip, and an jump across the border to Detroit, is also a biased and slanted view. I said I think he speaks on behalf of most Seahawks fans on his take, and he certainly convinced me

I would have been so happy had the 49ers been out. I watched the week before when Jordan Love made one of the worst throwing decisions I have ever seen given the situation at the time (where they were, the down it was, the timeouts they had left), then watched the Lions collapse. Two weeks in a row teams had a chance to send em home, but here they are in the Super Bowl.

I'm just bitter

[Aseahawkfan]

What I hope Detroit fans don't find out is that moments like that are fleeting. You always think, "I'm young. I'll be back." But as Seattle fans found out with that second Super Bowl loss, all it takes is one bad coaching decision to start a domino type effect when you have opportunities in huge games to take it to the next level to collapse your franchise into mediocrity. You won't even realize it happened for years, nearly 10 years for Seattle fans before you go, "Damn. That was the last great moment for that Seahawks team and it was all messed up."

I hope Campbell's bad decisions in that NFC Conference game are not Detroit's bad moment before the fall. Because there is no guarantee you'll get back when you have a great year. Other NFL teams just get better as the years go on, so competition becomes harder. Health changes from year to year. And players can go from having a great year to sucking from year to year.

[RiverDog]

The Lions' failure to execute on 4th down might actually end up being a positive for them as the team goes forward. Listen to what one of the Lions' offensive lineman had to say:

Head coach Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions has received a lot of criticism for some of his second-half decisions in the NFC championship game. But it’s safe to say Lions right tackle Penei Sewell will not be one of his critics anytime soon.

Sewell adamantly defended his coach to ESPN’s Eric Woodyard during an event in Orlando, Florida on February 3.

“I don’t agree with any criticism towards Coach [Dan Campbell]. I’ve got his back until the end,” Sewell told Woodyard. “If he tells me to jump off a cliff with him, I’m right next to him.

“I’m so serious. So, whatever he says, whatever he calls, we’ve just got to execute. So, that’s on us really. That’s my guy.”

Sewell was referencing the two fourth-down conversions the Lions failed to execute in the third and fourth quarters against the San Francisco 49ers. Both attempts were with 2 or 3 yards to go, but the Lions also had the option to kick field goals between 45-49 yards.
Both fourth-down tries resulted in a turnover on downs, which helped fuel 27 straight San Francisco points.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/li ... 155d&ei=47

It's nice to see players rally to defend their coach. I can only hope that Mike Macdonald evokes the same dedication from his players that Campbell has gotten with the Lions.