NFL GDT: 2023 NFC Championship Game: (1) San Francisco 49ers vs (3) Detroit Lions

[Hockeyholic]

Lions had this game won. Just a coaching disaster

 

[Fish on The Sand]

Does everyone here getting all upset over the 4th down call, especially the second one, not realize that if they kick the FG to tie that the Niners just march down the field, kill the clock, and win with a FG as time expires?

Like the Lions weren't getting the ball back after that if the game was tied.

 

[StreetHawk]

it was a hell of a ride. Was it our last shot for the next 60 years? Who knows. I'm grateful for this season.

49ers had all the luck today. We had some mistakes (Reynolds, Gibbs fumble, INT-Recovery Ayuk, 4th down handling) and made the 49ers strong in the second half. It wasn't meant to be for the Lions. Bitter loss.

But overall I'm very grateful for this season.

No lion player was stepping up to make a play. One mistake after another. As you already listed. And they had their chances to.

To me you always remain up more scores. Have e run game to milk the clock. At 22:30 left in the game before that 4th down Gamble you basically eat up 1/4 of the 2nd half and it’s still a 3 possession game.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Does everyone here getting all upset over the 4th down call, especially the second one, not realize that if they kick the FG to tie that the Niners just march down the field, kill the clock, and win with a FG as time expires?

Like the Lions weren't getting the ball back after that if the game was tied.

I actually don't have a problem with the second one, the first one was next level moronic.

 

[hatterson]

Does everyone here getting all upset over the 4th down call, especially the second one, not realize that if they kick the FG to tie that the Niners just march down the field, kill the clock, and win with a FG as time expires?

Like the Lions weren't getting the ball back after that if the game was tied.

Generally the people who go with “should have taken the points” takes just assume that everything else in the game plays out identical because thinking about what might happen instead is too close to the dangerous world of analytics.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

If you’re going to go for it twice in the 2nd half, why do you kick the field goal from the 2 in the 1st half?

 

[hockeykicker]

 

[Fish on The Sand]

If you’re going to go for it twice in the 2nd half, why do you kick the field goal from the 2 in the 1st half?

Because the advantages of going for it at the end of the half are negated by half time.

 

[CupofOil]

Lions has this game in the bag but captain numb nuts went full idiot, @CupofOil i hope you are doing alright

I'm dead lol.

Seriously though, it was a great season but I just can't see that right now. Don't know if I'll ever get over this one unless they win a Superbowl with this group eventually.

 

[Fish on The Sand]

I actually don't have a problem with the second one, the first one was next level moronic.

Literally nobody would be saying it was moronic if Reynolds didn't do his best Kadarious Toney impression.

If he catches that and they pick up the first down nobody criticizes the decision.

 

[Donnie740]

Generally the people who go with “should have taken the points” takes just assume that everything else in the game plays out identical because thinking about what might happen instead is too close to the dangerous world of analytics.

Much like the problem with analytics, Dan Campbell had ZERO situational awareness.

#1 - - you’re the big underdog
#2 - - on the road in a hostile environment
#3 - - with a chance to go up three scores
#4 - - squash any momentum SF had after making it 24-10

Lions didn’t need a kill shot. They just needed to go up by 3 scores and not give SF the momentum.

 

[CupofOil]

Literally nobody would be saying it was moronic if Reynolds didn't do his best Kadarious Toney impression.

If he catches that and they pick up the first down nobody criticizes the decision.

Campbell is a live by the sword die by the sword type of coach. They don't get this far without him having that mentality but it also risks of turning the tide in a game which it absolutely did in this game. If the Niners go down 27-10 and don't have that lifeline from the 4th down stop it changes the complexion of the game. It's not all coach's fault but that play was THE turning point.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Literally nobody would be saying it was moronic if Reynolds didn't do his best Kadarious Toney impression.

If he catches that and they pick up the first down nobody criticizes the decision.

Josh Reynolds is a literal JAG who's having a good year being a WR2 behind St Brown, that's like me as a Jets fan being mad that Allen Lazard dropped something

 

[SirClintonPortis]

I'm dead lol.

Seriously though, it was a great season but I just can't see that right now. Don't know if I'll ever get over this one unless they win a Superbowl with this group eventually.

With Love's arrival and a D that hasn't been fixed, the Lions might never get back here.

 

[hatterson]

Because the advantages of going for it at the end of the half are negated by half time.

The advantages of going for it from the 2 are negated, yes.

But the first 4th down go for it call in the second half was from the 28 so the “pin them deep” motivation isn’t there either.

In both situations you have the chance to go up 3 scores and you’re not worried about pinning the other team deep if you fail (once due to half, once due to being at the 28). If anything, the analytics would favor going up by 3 scores more the later you are in the game and yet that’s the one he went for.

 

[The Blue Baron]

Lions had this game won. Just a coaching disaster

Plain and simple. He decisions in crunch time, in the playoffs, on the road, against a dynamic opponent were idiotic/ lunacy.

Campbell likely has lots of balls but now he is a loser and his season is over. The coach cost his team a chance to advance to the Super Bowl.

 

[StreetHawk]

Does everyone here getting all upset over the 4th down call, especially the second one, not realize that if they kick the FG to tie that the Niners just march down the field, kill the clock, and win with a FG as time expires?

Like the Lions weren't getting the ball back after that if the game was tied.

Have to play the time left. 7:30 or so to go if they opted to kick the FG to tie at 27.
With 3 TO, 2 minute warning and 4th Q timing rules it is very hard to go 75 yards and eat up all of the remaining clock. Especially if you get a couple of chunk plays. SF wasn’t a dink and dunk attack.

That’s why tying the game made sense.

 

[DueDiligence]

I agree SF has a balanced attack if Purdy is on, but Detroit's running game would have caused them a lot of problems imo.

Detroit's D would never be able to stop Mahomes regardless of what the Detroit O would do.

 

[Donnie740]

With Love's arrival and a D that hasn't been fixed, the Lions might never get back here.

Lions collapse reminded me of Atlanta coming from ahead to lose the Super Bowl.

Young team, inexperienced HC, underdog with the game in total control.

Never heard from Dan Quinn and the Falcons again after that embarrassment.

 

[Luceni]

No lion player was stepping up to make a play. One mistake after another. As you already listed. And they had their chances to.

To me you always remain up more scores. Have e run game to milk the clock. At 22:30 left in the game before that 4th down Gamble you basically eat up 1/4 of the 2nd half and it’s still a 3 possession game.

There were a lot Players who stepped up in the second period. Especially the defense kept them in the game with the fg 24-27. But then the turnover happned. The players started to think (drops - especially Reynolds, miss-tackles on defense).

Don't get me wrong: I feel like We should have won this game. But the 49ers literally got the bounces (INT recovery ayuk) and the home crowd, who came back to life when we didn't convert that 4th down.

Bottom line: 49ers were luckier than the Lions. We helped them to gain momentum with some mistakes. BUT overall I'm very happy about this season. There are still a lot of holes to fill this offseason especially on defense. That's why I'm not extremley disappointed.

 

[CupofOil]

With Love's arrival and a D that hasn't been fixed, the Lions might never get back here.

It's a good thing that there's this thing called a draft and free agency to fix the defense. I trust the regime to do just that.

 

[Donnie740]

Plain and simple. He decisions in crunch time, in the playoffs, on the road, against a dynamic opponent were idiotic/ lunacy.

Campbell likely has lots of balls but now he is a loser and his season is over. The coach cost his team a chance to advance to the Super Bowl.

As Belichick said, players win the games and coaches lose the games.

 

[The don godfather]

Lions might have to wait another 50 years now.

 

[Reality Check]

It's a good thing that there's this thing called a draft and free agency to fix the defense. I trust the regime to do just that.

Either no one here but Detroit fans have really paid attention to the Lions all year or they're pissed over losing a bet.

Skip Bayless would be proud of these hot takes.

 

[Donnie740]

Campbell trying to justify his first 4th down screw up by saying how “SF was trying to bleed out the clock”

FFS, that’s all the more reason to take the FG and go up by three scores. Then let the “bleed out the clock”