It wasn’t the complete performance that Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell was calling for from his team. But the Detroit offense was masterful in the 41-38 victory against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10.
So when the game was on the line, Campbell trusted his offense to win it.
With the game tied 38-38 and 1:47 remaining, Campbell elected against kicking the go-ahead field goal on fourth-and-2 at the Chargers 26-yard line. Instead, the Lions offense remained on the field.
Quarterback Jared Goff completed a 6-yard pass to rookie tight end Sam LaPorta for the first down. Then after three kneel downs, the Lions kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired.
Following the victory, Goff, in his own colorful words, explained to the media the top reason Campbell delayed the team’s late field-goal try.
“There’s many factors going into that, but he’s got big balls, and he showed it there,” Goff told reporters after the game. “It’s a lot of fun when he puts the ball in our hands to make the play.”
The statistics support Goff’s NSFW claim. Detroit is tied for the most fourth-down tries in the NFL. The Lions are also second in fourth-down conversions as of November 13.