Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff praised head coach Dan Campbell for his decision to go for it on a clutch fourth down during Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
With the game tied and no timeouts left, the Lions kept their offense on the field on fourth-and-2 from the Chargers’ 26-yard line with 1:47 left in the fourth quarter. Goff had a six-yard connection with Sam LaPorta to move the chains before Detroit ran out the clock and kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired to claim a 41-38 victory in a thrilling shootout.
“Ballsy,” Goff said of Campbell’s decision postgame, according to CBS Sports. “It paid off. We love when he puts us in those positions to make those plays. He’s got balls of steel, and today, he showed it.”
The Lions, who improved to 7-2, put up 533 total yards on offense, but their defense gave up 421 yards.
Campbell explained his call on Sunday, saying his offense’s momentum played a factor in the final decision.
“I wanted to finish with the ball,” the 47-year-old coach said. “I trusted our guys, I trust Goff. … I liked where we were at offensively. We were playing good, Goff was in a good spot, and I felt like that was the right thing to do.”
Goff finished the contest with 23 completions on 33 attempts for 333 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
Detroit entered Week 10 with 17 fourth-down attempts in eight games this season, the fourth-most in the NFL. The team went 4-for-5 on fourth-down situations versus Los Angeles.
