DETROIT (AP) — Dan Campbell knows his aggressive play calling hurt the Detroit Lions in their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night.
That doesn’t mean he'll change his approach.
Campbell goes for it on fourth down more than any other coach in the NFL, and he tried it five times on a windy, cold night in Philadelphia. However, the Eagles stopped the Lions all five times in Detroit's 16-9 loss.
“We were 3 of 13 on third down and obviously 0 for 5 on fourth down and that's not good enough,” Campbell said Monday. "We had some missed throws, some pressure, some tipped balls and a couple of drops.
“There were also some bad calls by me — some calls I want back.”
Detroit went for it on fourth down twice in the first half, both in their own territory. On fourth-and-1 on their own 48, Jahmyr Gibbs was stopped for no gain. On fourth-and-2 from the 43, Grant Stuard didn't gain anything on a fake punt.
The first time didn't hurt the Lions, except for field position, but the second led to a field goal by the Eagles that gave them a 6-0 lead.
Campbell, who only took over playcalling duties from offensive coordinator John Morton earlier this month, redeemed himself after the field goal. On second-and-10 from the Detroit 26, Jared Goff threw a 34-yard pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown. On the next play, Goff connected with Jameson Williams for a 40-yard touchdown.
Jake Bates missed the extra point after Williams was called for unsportsmanlike conduct for his celebration, leaving the game tied at 6.
“We're explosive,” Campbell said. “We basically scored in two plays: Saint gets a big catch and then J-Mo gets one over the middle and takes it to the house. We know we can do that.”
That, though, was an exception to what happened in the rest of the game. After his touchdown pass, Goff went 7 of 25 for 136 yards, including 1 for 11 in the fourth quarter. Seven of those attempts went to St. Brown, his favorite receiver, and they all fell incomplete.
“I'm not worried about the connection between Goff and Saint, it has always been there,” Campbell said. “Yesterday was just one of those days when something was a little off.”
Goff's struggles led to three more fourth-down attempts. On fourth-and-5 from the Eagles 32, Williams dropped a pass over the middle.
Detroit's next drive was its best sustained offensive performance of the game, but it stalled on fourth-and-goal from the Eagles 3. Trailing 13-6, Campbell decided not to kick, but Goff couldn't hit St. Brown in the end zone.
On the next drive, Campbell tried again — this time on fourth-and-3 from the Eagles 45 — but Goff's pass was nowhere near St. Brown.
“That was a unique situation, because we're on the road with the wind in our faces, so those aren't easy field goals,” Campbell said. "When we are in manageable situations — fourth-and-2, fourth-and-3 or fourth-and-4 — you have the chance to go for it. You could punt, but you're almost too tight to do that.
“There have been a lot of times where it has gone right for us.”
What's working
The defense did an outstanding job against Jalen Hurts and the Eagles — the only reason the game was close down the stretch. Hurts only threw for 135 yards. And while Philadelphia ran for 148 yards, they needed 40 carries to do it.
What needs help
Goff didn't have a great day, but Detroit's porous offensive line didn't give him much help. He was sacked twice, hit seven more times and under pressure on almost every pass attempt.
The Lions couldn't help him with play-action passes because the line couldn't open holes for Gibbs or David Montgomery.
Stock up
Detroit is missing three starting defensive backs, including both cornerbacks, but Amik Robertson and Rock Ya-Sin held A.J. Brown to just 49 yards on seven catches. However, Ya-Sin was called for a key pass interference penalty in the final two minutes, allowing the Eagles to run out the clock.
Stock down
Tight end Sam LaPorta is one of Goff's favorite targets, but he was placed on injured reserve with a back injury. That made Brock Wright into a pass catcher instead of a blocker, but he finished with just two catches for 8 yards.
Injuries
The Lions are hoping for defensive reinforcements from the injury list, starting with cornerback D.J. Reed and linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez. Campbell said both could be ready for Sunday's game against the New York Giants.
Key number
11 — That's the number of days during which the Lions will play three home games, starting Sunday. After they play the Giants, they host the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving and the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 4, another Thursday game.
Next steps
Campbell needs to get more comfortable as the play caller and Goff and St. Brown need to figure out what went wrong against the Eagles. On defense, every healthy player is going to be a boost for a unit that is already playing well.
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