Lions' Dan Campbell defends fourth-down gamble as Packers stick with Trey Smack after 20-17 loss

Final: Lions 20, Packers 17. A day after Jake Bates won it with a 22-yard field goal as time expired at Ford Field, the conversation in both cities has moved to the decisions and mistakes that shaped Sunday’s NFC North fight: Dan Campbell’s fourth-down call, Trey Smack’s missed kicks and a string of Green Bay penalties.

Detroit improved to 4-2. Green Bay fell to 4-3, and its three-game winning streak is over, Sports Illustrated noted.

Dan Campbell explains the fourth-and-1 call

With the game tied 17-17 and just under five minutes left, Detroit faced fourth-and-1 at its own 24-yard line, according to the Lions’ team site. Campbell kept the offense on the field. Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon shot into the backfield and dropped Jahmyr Gibbs for a 2-yard loss, handing Green Bay the ball already in field goal range.

Campbell did not back away from it afterward. “Well, I thought we would get it, number one,” he said. “I really believed we would get that. Number two, I knew we would get the ball back if it didn’t work out. And those were the key thoughts.”

Pride of Detroit pointed out that Green Bay took over with 4:50 left, so even a Packers score would have left Detroit time to answer, and that at least one analytics model, cited by ESPN’s Seth Walder, favored going for it. The call still drew heavy criticism. It was the second failed fourth down of the day: late in the third quarter, the Lions passed on a short field goal at the Green Bay 6 and Goff’s fourth-and-5 throw to Jameson Williams fell incomplete.

The block that saved Detroit

Green Bay went three-and-out after the stop, and DJ Wonnum got a hand on Smack’s 35-yard try. Goff called it “a huge individual effort.” Wonnum is now tied with Aidan Hutchinson for the team lead with 5.0 sacks, per the Lions.

Goff then led a 10-play, 77-yard drive that used the final 3:21. The key throw was an 18-yarder to Sam LaPorta, and a high hit on Goff on the play tacked on 15 more yards. SI also pointed to a costly third-and-5 after the two-minute warning, when Packers defensive linemen Karl Brooks and Lukas Van Ness jumped offside on Goff’s hard count. That let Detroit run the clock down for the winning kick.

Matt LaFleur: Smack is still the kicker

Asked whether Smack would remain Green Bay’s kicker, LaFleur answered with one word: “Yes.”

“Trey is a guy who has proven he can do it. I know he can do it. We have to wipe this one clean and move on,” LaFleur said, according to Packers Wire. He added that he “just saw it miss” and did not see the late kick get blocked.

Smack’s day started badly. A delay-of-game penalty turned a 21-yard attempt into a 26-yarder, and he missed it. He later hit a 43-yarder to tie the game with 7:10 left. SI wrote that the broadcast showed Smack with two misses from 35 yards or shorter this season, compared with one for the rest of the league.

LaFleur also said he regretted one of his own calls: “I’m kicking myself, I wish we would have kicked the field goal on the fourth down we didn’t convert.” He was visibly frustrated with officials during the game, Packers Wire reported, but kept his comments short: “There were some tough calls but it is what it is.”

Packers vs. Lions key numbers

The Lions’ team site said Goff is the first quarterback in NFL history with at least 14 touchdown passes and no turnovers through six games. It was his 18th game-winning drive as a Lion and 26th of his career. Gibbs has 890 scrimmage yards through six games, second in team history behind Billy Sims’ 914 in 1980.

Packers injuries at center

Green Bay finished the game with its third-string center. Sean Rhyan and Jacob Monk both got hurt, and John Williams stepped in. “To lose two guys at center that quickly in the game was a little terrifying, but I thought he did a really good job,” LaFleur said. He said he didn’t expect Rhyan or Monk to play this week and couldn’t give a long-term outlook. Veteran Kevin Zeitler was a healthy scratch, according to SI.

What’s next for both teams

• Packers: host the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night at Lambeau Field on a short week. “It’s going to be the team that bounces back the best,” LaFleur said.
• Lions: host the unbeaten Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Nov. 1, a chance to cut into Minnesota’s lead in the NFC North.

FAQ

Earlier coverage: Packers vs. Lions: Live score, key plays and how to watch the NFC North clash at Ford Field (Oct 25)