Dan Campbell's 4th-down gambles help Lions beat Packers 34-31 and clinch playoffs
Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes, Jake Bates made a 35-yard field goal as time expired and the Detroit Lions clinched a playoff spot with a 34-31 victory over the Green Bay Packers
By LARRY LAGE
Published - Dec 06, 2024, 12:53 AM ET
Last Updated - Dec 16, 2024, 05:05 PM EST
DETROIT (AP) — Dan Campbell's gambles paid off.
Detroit went for it on fourth down for a fifth time to set up Jake Bates' 35-yard field goal as time expired, Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes and the Lions clinched a playoff spot with a 34-31 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night.
Campbell has been perhaps the NFL's most aggressive coach since taking over what was a league laughingstock in 2021, but he turned it up a notch against the Packers with a short-handed defense that he wanted to keep off the field.
“That was how I wanted to play that team with where we are at,” Campbell said.
