Dan Campbell explaining his onside kick decision in Week 15 against the Bills Photo Credit: WXYZ Detroit, Brad Galli on X
By Reice Shipley on

Love him or hate him, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell isn’t afraid to make unpopular decisions at crucial points of a game. In Sunday’s matchup against the Buffalo Bills, he did just that, which came back to bite the Lions in a huge way.

Trailing by ten points with 12 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Campbell opted to go for an onside kick in an attempt to keep the red-hot Josh Allen off the field.

Instead, Bills wide receiver Mack Hollins would recover the kick and return it all the way to the Lions five-yard line. This would set up a five-yard touchdown pass for the Bills just a play later.

On the call of the game, Jim Nantz immediately shared his disbelief about the decision, telling Tony Romo that it was “a little early” to go for an onside kick.

“It seems a little early Tony,” said Nantz. “But here we go, 12 minutes to go, onside kick.”

Media pundits at home felt the exact same way Nantz did, openly criticizing Campbell for the incredibly bold call.

“Campbell’s onside kick call was idiotic. That made no sense and it wasn’t defensible,” wrote Bill Simmons on X.

“Dan Campbell has pushed all of the right buttons in Detroit but there’s no defending that move,” wrote Jeremy Fowler.

“Why…why? This makes absolutely no sense and why Dan Campbell needs to know when to not do stuff like this,” wrote Trey Wingo.

“I really don’t understand Dan Campbell kicking an onside kick down 10 with 12 minutes left in the game,” wrote Chase Daniel.

Buffalo would go on to win the game 48-42, which makes the decision even more highly scrutinized considering how close the Lions made the game in the end.

As you would expect, Campbell was asked about the call after the game. He was critical of his own decision, saying that he’d like to have it back.

“I thought we’d get the possession,” Campbell told reporters. “I thought we could get that ball. One of Bates’ best kicks that I have seen him have. And Hollins made a heck of a play on it. Obviously now sitting here with hindsight after seeing them take it down to the three-yard line, yeah, I wish I wouldn’t have done it. But it is what it is.”

Campbell has always been one to play as aggressively as possible when it comes to trying fake punts, fourth down conversations, and two-point conversions. That being said, this decision with how much time was left in the game was a little out there — even for him.

Keep in mind, there have been just three onside kicks that have been recovered by the kicking team all year long. So the odds were very much against the Lions whether Hollins made the miraculous return he ultimately did or not.

Campbell has brought a lot of positives to Detroit, positives which have helped turn the previously moribund organization into There are one of the NFL’s top teams. But to date, this may be one of the true black marks on his tenure with the Lions.

[Brad Galli on X]

About Reice Shipley

Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.

View all posts by Reice Shipley