Breaking News:The Lions coach gives new Intel after lose
The Detroit Lions’ fairytale season came to an end Sunday night when they fell to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game at Levi’s Stadium. And while the loss surely will sting for their fanbase, there’s no doubt there’s a lot to look forward to in the future.
Even with a bright future, Lions coach Dan Campbell pulled back the curtain on the message he shared to his team after the 34-31 loss.
Look, I told those guys, ‘This may have been our only shot.’ Do I think that? No. Do I believe that? No,” Campbell told reporters after the game. “However, I know how hard is to get here. I’m well aware. It’s gonna be twice as hard to get back to this point next year than it was this year. That’s the reality. If we don’t have the same hunger and the same work — which is a whole other thing once we get to the offseason — then we got no shot of getting back here. I don’t care how much better we get, what we add, what we draft. It’s irrelevant. It’s gonna be tough.
The Lions came out hot to start the game, taking a 24-7 lead at halftime. But the 49ers stormed back to earn the win and punch their ticket to Super Bowl LVIII.
There were some questionable play calls Campbell made, including not choosing to extend their lead to 17 in the third quarter on 4th-and-2 and attempting to go for the first down at the 49ers’ 28-yard line. With seven-and-a-half minutes remaining and the Lions trailing by three, Campbell again elected to try to convert rather than attempt the game-tying field goal.
Both attempts and trying to extend the drive failed, but Campbell told reporters he doesn’t regret what he ultimately decided to do.