Dan Campbell trusted his defense in a key situation Sunday, and it almost worked.
One of the NFL’s most aggressive coaches all season, Campbell got unusually conservative late in the Detroit Lions’ 20-16 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
With the Lions down seven points and less than three minutes to play, Campbell opted for a short field goal on fourth-and-5 from the Atlanta 8.
Riley Patterson made the kick, and the Lions got the defensive stop they needed on the ensuing series, but Tim Boyle threw an interception with 33 seconds left that ended any hopes of a comeback.
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“It was just that I know I had three timeouts and I had a feeling that (Falcons coach Arthur Smith) was going to be conservative, and we were going to be able to stop the run and get the ball back,” Campbell said. “I felt very good about getting the ball back knowing that we would have plenty of time to go down and score.”
The Lions had allowed points on four straight possessions when Campbell put the game in the hands of his defense.
Down 20-13, the Lions drove 66 yards in 17 plays but settled for a short field goal after Craig Reynolds was stopped for a 3-yard loss on third-and-2.
The Falcons started their next possession at their own 25-yard line, and after two runs forced the Lions to burn timeouts, Matt Ryan threw a bubble screen to Russell Gage on third-and-7.
Jalen Reeves-Maybin punched loose a fumble as Gage ran upfield, and Dean Marlowe recovered the loose ball for the Lions at the Atlanta 37.
Campbell said he felt like the Lions had “total control of the game” after the fumble.
“We were going to go down and score,” he said. “But now at that point, you got to make sure you’re burning everything off the clock that you can. They still had timeouts. But I mean, it was set up, it was set up perfectly for us. Once again, Reeves freaking comes up with a big one. Like he’s done all year.”
The Lions led the NFL in fourth down conversion attempts entering the week and made good on three of four tries Sunday — including two fourth-and-1s on their fourth-quarter field goal drive — when Boyle started at quarterback with Jared Goff in COVID-19 protocols.
Boyle said he trusted Campbell’s call, but acknowledged the Lions might have approached the situation different had they had been more successful on third down.
“How he envisioned the game going, by sending the field goal unit out there, it happened,” Boyle said. “It happened. He burned his timeouts and we got the ball back and put us in a position to win. Like I said, ultimately it falls on me making that (interception) at the end of the game. He called a hell of a game. He really did. Looking back, and I haven’t really had much time to process, but he did a really good job calling a great game. That’s football. Last play of the game, it got us. A learning experience no doubt for me.”
Confidence case
Amon-Ra St. Brown has been on quite the late-season tear for the Lions.
A fourth-round pick out of USC, St. Brown caught nine passes for 91 yards and a touchdown Sunday, his fourth straight game with at least eight receptions.
Asked if the NFL is getting easier for him 15 games into his career, St. Brown said, “I wouldn’t say easier, I think ‘confidence’ is a good word to use.”
“I would say confidence is one of the biggest things you can have in this league, and just the coaches and the players trusting you and knowing you can go out there and make the plays,” he said.
Since Thanksgiving, St. Brown has 35 catches for 340 yards and three touchdowns.
“There’s not enough you can say about St. Brown and we are very, very lucky to have him on this team,” Boyle said. “For him to be a rookie and having the success he’s having, hopefully it only gives him confidence moving forward. Yeah, he’s a fan favorite for the quarterbacks no doubt.”
Tight squeeze
The Lions lost Jason Cabinda and Shane Zylstra to knee injuries Sunday, leaving undrafted rookie Brock Wright to finish the game as the only healthy tight end.
Campbell indicated both Cabinda and Zylstra could miss next week’s game against the Seattle Seahawks — Zylstra was carted off the field Sunday — which would leave the Lions, who already have lost T.J. Hockenson for the season to thumb surgery, needing to make a move at tight end.
“f I’m being totally honest with you, losing Cabinda hurt today,” Campbell said. “There was a number of things we had up and just our base game plan. Run action, all those things. He’s kind of one of those unsung heroes, and he does so many things for us. His versatility sometimes goes unnoticed and man it hurt a little bit.”
Briefly
The Lions committed a season-high six false start penalties Sunday, by Zylstra, Wright, Boyle and three offensive linemen — Taylor Decker, Jonah Jackson and Penei Sewell. Campbell said he sparked one of the penalty-riddled drives by getting a play call in late, and all of the infractions were “unacceptable.”
“Ultimately, yeah, those things kill you,” he said. “And they did in the red zone.”
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.