DETROIT — The reputation the Detroit Lions developed around the league as an aggressive fourth-down team is driving others to success right in front of them.
Teams like the Green Bay Packers are more willing to take the risk associated with an aggressive fourth down call, which coach Dan Campbell has made a staple of his offenses.
"I’d rather go down swinging," Packers coach Matt LaFleur said after besting the Lions on Thursday. “Sometimes it can bite you, absolutely, and you just have to deal with the consequences that come along with that.”
There were no consequences to deal with for Green Bay at Ford Field on Thursday as the Packers went for it on third down three times and converted all of them.
Two of the fourth-down tries resulted in touchdowns and the third sealed the 31-24 victory for the Packers on Thanksgiving.
“We definitely knew what kind of game it was going to be. We knew we were going to have to be aggressive and find a way to get through those tough situations,” wide receiver Christian Watson said. “I wouldn’t necessarily say we were going to do it that many times, but that’s what we needed to do to win.”
The Packers had conversations all week, according to quarterback Jordan Love, about being just as aggressive as they’ve seen the Lions over their two annual matchups
Detroit struggled to generate any offense and didn’t halt the Packers much in their Week 1 meeting, which Green Bay won, so fourth downs weren’t as much of a topic.
This time around, each team had crucial tries on fourth down and Green Bay had all the success.
“Every game is its own game. We just came in here with an aggressive mindset. I think that that’s one of the ways that you have to play these guys – knowing that you’re going to have to defend four downs," LaFleur said. “That’s a really good football team. They’ve won a lot of games, and they’ve been one of the premier teams in the league for the last few years now.
“They got a lot of big players. I’ve got so much respect for Dan and his staff and what they’ve been able to accomplish. So, I thought the only way that you come into this place, which is not an easy place to play, is you got to be aggressive.”
The Packers went for the jugular on their first fourth down, deciding to go deep to Dontayvion Wicks in the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown, when they only had three yards to go.
Later in the first half, Love only had to dish a short pass to Romeo Doubs on an out route for a two-yard touchdown on fourth down.
The most impactful decision, though, was what clinched the game for the Packers.
The Lions were one score down and got the Packers to a third-and-three with two minutes remaining and no timeouts.
Instead of running it and continuing to wind the clock, LaFleur knew he wanted to give his offense the chance to win it against Detroit’s man-to-man defense.
“I kind of made up my mind prior to (reaching fourth down),” LaFleur said. “I told Jordan, ‘Hey, we’ve got two downs here, we’ve got to get one of the two. Our guys just made a play.”
The Packers failed on the first throw, with Brian Branch serving as the disruptive force knocking a ball away from Watson’s grasp.
But on the second try, Love lifted a ball to Wicks — who lost his shoe in the process — for 16 yards and the game-ending first down.
The decision was beloved by the Packers locker room, not just because it worked, but because of the thought behind it.
“I love it. That’s what it come down to, coach believes in you to just go out and make the plays and that’s going to keep him believing,” Wicks said. “I’m happy he had that mindset and we came out and executed on a way to win the game.”
It sounds quite a bit like the Lions when they make those gutsy calls and it works out.
Now Detroit’s finding out what it’s like to be on the wrong side of them.