The Detroit Lions have made some bold gambles with Dan Campbell as head coach. The latest was an onside kick decision that baffled NFL fans and analysts.
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The decision took place after Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored a 12-yard touchdown on a pass from quarterback Jared Goff. Nearly 12 minutes remained in the game, but Campbell elected to go for an onside kick.
The attempt failed as Bills receiver Mack Hollins caught the kick and raced his way to the 5-yard line. Teammate Ray Davis then scored on the next play. This touchdown and the extra point extended the Bills' lead to 45-28.
I understand Josh Allen is playing on a level that suggests overcoming a 10-point deficit requires aggressive measures, but the numbers weren’t on Dan Campbell’s side. Before today, only 3 of 41 onside kicks were recovered by kicking team. 7.3 percent. pic.twitter.com/D7IuTJ39pK
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) December 16, 2024
The Lions were able to cut back into the lead with another Gibbs touchdown, but they ultimately fell to the Bills 48-42 after a high-scoring battle in the Motor City.
"Why...why? This makes absolutely no sense and why Dan Campbell needs to know when to not do stuff like this," former ESPN personality Trey Wingo posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
One reason why the onside kick is such a low-percentage play is that the rules have changed. The teams can no longer just kick an onside kick at random as Thomas Morstead and the Saints did in Super Bowl 44. They now have to "declare" that they are attempting an onside kick. This takes away the element of surprise.
Wingo was not the only person who weighed in after watching the onside kick attempt with so much time remaining in the game. Some social media users said that Campbell is the reason why the Lions are not 3-14. They also proclaimed that he would be the person who would keep the Lions out of the Super Bowl with his gambles.
Many Lions fans, however, defended Campbell's decision to go for the onside kick. They pointed to the injury-plagued defense, one that had lost two defensive backs earlier in the game, while saying that this unit had failed to force the Bills into a punting situation.
To that point, Bills quarterback Josh Allen delivered another big performance in a must-win game. He threw for 361 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 70 yards and two touchdowns. The Lions could not contain Allen, which forced the team to make some bold moves.
Some moves, like a Hook and Ladder play, paid dividends. The onside kick just didn't work as the Lions fell to 12-2 on the season.
