There was plenty of Monday morning quarterbacking after Detroit Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell opted to go for two again after the brutal officiating error that took away the team’s two-point conversation. The second attempt failed and the Dallas Cowboys held on for a 20-19 victory, costing the Lions an opportunity at better playoff positioning.
Among those who disagreed with Campbell’s decision to go for two a second time instead of kicking a field goal to tie was Detroit’s 97.1 The Ticket host Jim Costa, who referred to it as a “lunatic decision.”
Even though it appears the Lions got screwed on successful 2 point conversion, I keep going back to Dan Campbell losing his cool. It was a lunatic decision to go for it 7 yards out and then 4 yards out.
There’s aggressive (The original call) and then there’s hurting your team
— Jim Costa (@JimCosta_) December 31, 2023
Campbell appeared on Costa’s program Tuesday morning and the decision was obviously a major discussion point.
“I told our offense we were going for the win. ‘We’re going to go down, we’re going to score and we’re going for two, and I wasn’t coming off of that,” Campbell told Costa. He noted that he would have kicked if the Lions had been moved outside of the 10-yard-line, but “we work inside the 10 every week, good on good, O vs D.”
Costa and Mike “Stoney” Stone continued to press the Lions coach about the decision and Campbell then decided that if he was going to get picked apart for his call then he wanted them to address it honestly.
Dan Campbell told @JimCosta_ to "go ahead and say it."
Costa: "I think (going for 2) from the 7 is a low-percentage play."
"No, say it like you would say it to anybody else. I'm on the radio, say it like you want to say it."
Listen here:https://t.co/sZhQ3rj6Q7
— 97.1 The Ticket: (@971theticketxyt) January 2, 2024
“I think from the 7 it’s a low-percentage play,” said Costa. “I think your chances of winning are lower than if you kick the extra point.”
“No, say it like you would say it to anybody else,” said Campbell. “I’m on the radio, say it like you want to say it.”
“I thought it was a reckless decision,” responded Costa.
“Thank you!” said Campbell, who reiterated that he did not regret going for two.
“If they play a certain coverage that is the last place it will go, and that was the exact coverage we got,” Campbell said. “You’re not thinking that’s going to be the first thing that’s going to pop. You’re hoping that (Sam) LaPorta is going to pop and he ended up creating a rub. So while Goff’s waiting for it, you realize, god, I gotta pull the trigger here, and it just didn’t work out, man.”
Afterward, Costa took to social media to share his appreciation for the way Campbell handled the criticism.
Respect to Dan Campbell for today. He wanted the criticism to his face and thanked me after. He's real
I do think it was reckless and a lunatic decision to go for it from the 7. Stand by it
Appreciate a coach who wants candid conversation. Wouldn't have it any other way
— Jim Costa (@JimCosta_) January 2, 2024
“Respect to Dan Campbell for today,” wrote Costa on X, formerly Twitter. “He wanted the criticism to his face and thanked me after. He’s real I do think it was reckless and a lunatic decision to go for it from the 7. Stand by it Appreciate a coach who wants candid conversation. Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Getting blamed for your decisions that don’t work comes with the territory when you’re a head coach, and it’s very easy for criticism from local media to lead to animosity between the two sides. It’s a special thing when those two sides can co-exist even when they disagree.
Of course, it’s a whole lot easier to find common ground when you’re winning your division and going to the playoffs.
