Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell pushed back against the heavy criticism directed at him after Thursday’s 31–24 defeat to the Green Bay Packers, particularly regarding his choices on fourth down and the offense’s pace late in the game.

Many fans and analysts questioned why Campbell continued to be ultra-aggressive on fourth down rather than taking a late field goal. Others felt Detroit’s offense moved far too slowly while trailing by multiple scores, allowing valuable time to disappear.

Addressing the media after the game, Campbell acknowledged there were things he wished he had handled differently, but he also emphasized that several of his decisions were intentional and rooted in trust in his players

Campbell stands by fourth-down philosophy but concedes one questionable call

Detroit has now come up empty on seven straight fourth-down tries across the past three games, including two crucial failures in this matchup. Still, Campbell insisted the slump won’t make him abandon his aggressive nature.

“We liked the play calls going in. I’m not changing who I am because a few didn’t go our way,” he said. “We’ve converted plenty of these before—they just didn’t hit today.”

However, he admitted the first attempt—a run on fourth-and-3 from midfield—was not the best design.

“I want that one back,” Campbell said. “I don’t know how much of a chance we really gave our guys.”

Some believe Detroit’s depleted offense, missing Sam LaPorta and Amon-Ra St. Brown, should push Campbell toward a more conservative approach. Campbell rejected that notion, saying he still trusts playmakers such as Jameson Williams, Tom Kennedy, Isaac TeSlaa, and Jahmyr Gibbs.

“I’m not going to pretend injuries don’t matter,” he said. “But I believe in the guys we have. If we like the matchup and the play, we’ll stay aggressive.”

Detroit’s second fourth-down attempt nearly became a game-changing score. Trailing by 10 early in the fourth quarter, the Lions passed on a 38-yard field goal and went for it on fourth-and-3. The play developed as planned, but Jared Goff’s throw to Jameson Williams sailed behind him. Williams got both hands on the ball but couldn’t complete the catch.

Goff said afterward that the miss would stay with him.

“I’ve got to give him a better ball. He might’ve scored if I put it in front of him,” Goff said.

Williams didn’t deflect the blame.

“I dropped it. That’s it,” he said. “We get that first down and the whole drive might change.”

Slow-paced final drive was deliberate, Campbell says

Another major talking point was Detroit’s final offensive series. Down 31–21 with a little over nine minutes left, the Lions put together a 13-play march that consumed more than six minutes. Fans grew restless as the team repeatedly huddled and let the play clock wind down in a situation that typically calls for urgency.

Campbell said the deliberate tempo was part of a larger plan.

“I understand why it didn’t look great,” he said. “But based on their defensive front, that was the best way for us to operate. We were playing for the last possession. Get the score, use our timeouts on defense, get the ball back one more time—that was the thought process.”

The approach nearly paid off. If Packers receiver Dontayvion Wicks hadn’t made a clutch catch on fourth-and-3, Detroit would have taken over near midfield with roughly 1:50 remaining—plenty of time to tie the game—and Green Bay had only one timeout left.

Instead, the Packers closed it out, and the Lions never saw the ball again.