Lions coach Dan Campbell might have gained himself a few votes for Coach of the Year for the game management he displayed in the final minutes of Sunday’s thrilling 41–38 walk-off victory over the Chargers.
Campbell made two gutsy decisions on the Lions’ final drive, but they were well calculated based on how the game had gone for nearly four quarters. There wasn’t much defense on display, and the Chargers had just scored touchdowns on five consecutive possessions.
First, Campbell went for it on fourth-and-2 on the Chargers’ 26-yard line with the game tied and 1:47 left in regulation. After Jared Goff gained a new set of downs on a six-yard completion to rookie tight end Sam LaPorta, which forced the Chargers to burn their final timeout, Campbell called for three consecutive kneel downs to kill the clock and ensure a red-hot Justin Herbert wouldn’t get the ball back. This was risky because the Lions passed on gaining yards to give Riley Patterson an easier kick, but he drilled the 41-yard field goal as time expired to give the Lions their seventh win of the season.
