Advertisement

Detroit Lions' Dan Campbell on fake punt: 'I shouldn't have done that to those guys'

Dan Campbell rolled the dice, and the Detroit Lions crapped out.

Campbell said he was to blame for a fake punt the Lions failed to convert in the third quarter of Thursday's 29-22 Thanksgiving loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Jalen Reeves-Maybin was stopped for no gain on a direct snap to the personal protector, and the Packers scored three plays later to take a 15-point lead.

"Yeah, look, that’s a bad call on me," Campbell said. "That’s a bad call. I shouldn’t have done that to those guys. That’s a bad call."

The Lions faced a fourth-and-4 from their own 23-yard line when they ran the fake with 5:32 left in the third quarter, a situation similar to one they converted in the first quarter of their Week 1 upset of the Kansas City Chiefs.

LIONS GRADES: Jared Goff, OL, DL, coaching all fail vs. Packers

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell watches a play against Green Bay Packers during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell watches a play against Green Bay Packers during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023.

Reeves-Maybin ran for 3 yards on fourth-and-2 from the Lions' 17-yard line on that play, and the Lions drove the length of the field for the game's first touchdown.

Asked if the punt team had the right look to run the fake Thursday — the Packers had five players spread across the front line of their punt rush unit, including one outside each of the Lions' wing protectors, and three defenders behind them in off-ball linebacker roles — Campbell said only the call was his fault.

"It’s a bad call on me," he said. "It is. Shouldn’t have done that."

One of the most aggressive coaches in the NFL, the Lions have largely benefitted from Campbell's game management the past 2.5 seasons.

CARLOS MONARREZ: Lions' Thanksgiving loss to Packers the most disappointing of Dan Campbell era

The Lions rank among the NFL leaders in fourth down attempts (27) and conversions (13) and entered Thursday with conversions on eight of the nine fake punts they'd run under Campbell. The one fake they failed to convert would have gone for a first down if not for a dropped pass.

Detroit Lions fans cheer for the Lions during a Green Bay Packers third down during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023.
Detroit Lions fans cheer for the Lions during a Green Bay Packers third down during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023.

Linebacker Derrick Barnes said the defense didn't do its job after the fake.

"Honestly, I'm the type of guy that never blames coaches or anybody for the call. It’s whatever he felt was right and it was executed right, it doesn’t matter," Barnes said. 'That’s one of those things where the defense coming out, you’re ready to go. Like we say, more TV time (for us) and force a turnover, get the ball back anyway we can, force a field goal, however it takes. That’s really the mindset of the defense. Don’t let them in the end zone."

JEFF SEIDEL: Lions punch themselves in the face again with turnovers vs. Green Bay Packers

Lions quarterback Jared Goff defended the decision, too.

"We trust the hell out of him," Goff said. "He makes those calls, most of the time he’s right. When he’s not, we’ve got to pick him up and make the plays to help us win the game. But yeah, we trust the hell out of him and love when he puts us in situations to make him right."

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions' Dan Campbell takes blame for failed fake punt vs. G.B.