Few individuals in NFL history possess a deeper understanding of what it takes to reach the Super Bowl than Tom Brady, making his insights particularly noteworthy when evaluating the decisions made by Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell.
During an episode of his Let’s Go! In the podcast, Brady commented on Detroit’s 34-31 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game, emphasizing the Lions’ aggressive approach throughout the season.
Reflecting on the game, Brady noted, “They’ve been aggressive all year. You know, obviously, when you’re aggressive and it doesn’t work, it comes back to bite you. It came back to bite them yesterday. Again, I would’ve taken the points.”
Specifically, Brady referred to Detroit’s decisions to go for it on 4th-and-2 from San Francisco’s 28-yard line while leading by 14 points in the third quarter and on 4th-and-3 from San Francisco’s 30-yard line in the fourth quarter while trailing by three. Both attempts proved unsuccessful, and the 49ers capitalized by scoring touchdowns on the ensuing possessions.
Given that the final deficit was only three points, the Lions likely lament the potential six points that could have been gained from successful field goals in those situations.
While acknowledging that San Francisco might have adjusted its strategy in response, Brady suggested that those extra points could have propelled the Lions into the Super Bowl.
Another pivotal moment occurred in the final two minutes when the Lions, down by 10, found themselves at the 49ers’ 1-yard line with all three timeouts.
Opting to run the ball, the Lions called a timeout when David Montgomery didn’t score. Although Detroit eventually scored a touchdown, the use of the timeout virtually sealed the game when they couldn’t recover the ensuing onside kick.
Brady expressed his confusion about this late-game decision, stating, “The handoff there late in the game, that was the one I didn’t understand.
Unless you saw some incredible look to walk the ball in, you just can’t take the chance that you’re gonna be stopped short and keep the clock running. You just can’t get the ball back. So that was the one I just said, ‘I don’t know what they’re doing.’ I thought it was just a flat-out error.”
As the Lions and their fans reflect on the offseason, the memory of building a 24-7 halftime lead only to see it vanish after intermission will likely linger. Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers now have the opportunity to compete in the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs.
