FIRST TAKE | "Dan Campbell killed Lions game" - Stephen A. Smith reacts to Lions' collapse vs. 49ers

Summary

The script describes the NFC championship game between the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers. The Lions had a commanding 24-7 halftime lead but the 49ers rallied to tie the game by the end of the 3rd quarter, eventually winning 34-31. There is analysis and debate over Lions coach Dan Campbell's decisions to go for it on 4th down multiple times rather than kick field goals. The drops and fumbles by the Lions in the 3rd quarter are highlighted as key turning points. There is disagreement over how much blame Campbell deserves for the loss versus the Lions' execution.

Takeaways

• 😀 Lions jumped out to early lead but couldn't hold on as 49ers stormed back
• 😱 Lions had 24-7 halftime lead but got outscored 27-0 in 3rd quarter
• 😡 Campbell questioned for going for it on 4th down instead of kicking FGs
• 🏈 Lions dominated 1st half running game but abandoned it in 2nd half
• 👎 2 Lions WR drops in 3rd quarter directly led to 49ers points
• 😫 Lions fumble by RB Gibs also led to 49ers points in 3rd quarter
• 😤 Campbell takes blame but Stephen A says collapse not his fault
• ⚡ 49ers QB Purdy's mobility surprised Lions in 2nd half
• 😕 Stephen A says Campbell should have stuck with run game
• 😞 Huge missed opportunity for Lions to reach Super Bowl

Q & A

What teams are playing in Super Bowl 58 according to the script?

The San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.

What was the final score of the NFC Championship game between the 49ers and Lions?

The 49ers won 34-31 after overcoming a 24-7 deficit.

Who scored the game-winning touchdown for the 49ers?

The script doesn't specify, but it says the 49ers scored 27 unanswered points in the second half.

What questionable coaching decisions by Dan Campbell is the script referring to?

The script mentions Campbell electing to go for it on 4th down twice instead of kicking field goals.

How well did the Lions run the ball in the first half?

The script says the Lions ran for 148 yards and 3 touchdowns on 21 carries in the first half.

Why does Stephen A. Smith blame Dan Campbell for the loss?

Smith believes Campbell should have continued running the ball in the second half instead of passing more.

What were the key Lions mistakes in the second half according to Shannon Sharpe?

Sharpe cites two dropped passes by Josh Reynolds and a fumble by Jir Gibbs as being pivotal.

What was the time of possession advantage for the 49ers in the second half?

The script doesn't specify the exact time of possession numbers.

How effective were the Lions on 4th down during the regular season?

The script says the Lions converted 20 out of 24 4th down attempts of 3 yards or less during the regular season.

Who does the script say the Lions will play in the Super Bowl if they had won?

The Kansas City Chiefs.

Outlines

00:00

😲 Lions Blow Big Lead, 49ers Comeback to Reach Super Bowl

The 49ers overcome a 24-7 deficit against the Lions to win the NFC championship 34-31. The Lions had dominated the first half, but made critical mistakes in the 3rd quarter that allowed the 49ers to rally. There is debate over whether Lions coach Dan Campbell made the right decisions to go for it on 4th down rather than kick field goals.

05:01

😡 Stephen A. Blames Lions Coach for Collapse

Stephen A. Smith puts a lot of blame on Lions coach Dan Campbell for the collapse, arguing he should have continued running the ball in the 2nd half like they did so successfully in the 1st half. Smith says there is no excuse for only running 8 times in the 2nd half after running so well early on.

10:01

👍 Molly Defends Lions' Approach That Got Them There

Molly Qerim Rose defends Dan Campbell's aggressive approach that has defined the Lions, arguing that second-guessing the 4th down decisions ignores that drops and fumbles were bigger reasons for the loss. She doesn't think kicking field goals would have changed the outcome.

15:28

😤 Shannon Says Take Points, Adjust Strategy

Shannon Sharpe draws on his Super Bowl experiences, arguing that Detroit should have taken points with field goals when they could. He says being aggressive is good, but situations like having a big lead call for adjusting strategy to protect it, even if it goes against your tendency.

Keywords

💡NFC Championship game

The NFC Championship game determines the winner of the National Football Conference who then advances to the Super Bowl. This script describes the 49ers incredible comeback victory over the Lions to win the 2024 NFC Championship and advance to Super Bowl 58.

💡comeback

The 49ers overcame a 24-7 halftime deficit, scoring 27 unanswered points in the second half to defeat the Lions 34-31. This demonstrates their resolve despite trailing by a large margin early on.

💡questionable decisions

Lions coach Dan Campbell made some risky fourth down play calls that backfired. This references the decision to repeatedly go for it on fourth down instead of kicking field goals.

💡momentum

The fourth down failures shifted momentum to the 49ers, who then scored 27 straight points. Momentum in sports refers to controlling the pace of the game.

💡collapse

The Lions went from a dominant 24-7 halftime lead to losing 34-31. This epic collapse will go down in championship history.

💡turnover

Gibbs' fumble in the 3rd quarter led to 49ers points, a rare mistake for the Lions. Turnovers often decide games, especially in high leverage situations.

💡third quarter

The Lions got outscored 17-0 in the third quarter, indicating that period was when the 49ers seized control of the game.

💡defense

The Lions defense failed to stop the 49ers, who scored 27 straight points to fuel their comeback victory.

💡San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers won the NFC Championship game after trailing 24-7. They will face Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58.

💡Super Bowl

The 49ers return to the Super Bowl after losing there 2 years ago. Winning the Super Bowl is the ultimate achievement in professional football.

Highlights

The Lions had a 24-7 halftime lead but lost 34-31 after being outscored 27-7 in the second half

Dan Campbell defended his decisions to go for it on 4th down instead of kicking field goals

Dan Campbell took responsibility but said he didn't regret the 4th down decisions

Shannon Sharpe blamed the loss more on the Lions' second half collapse and key drops/turnovers

Stephen A. Smith disagreed and said Campbell deserves some blame for abandoning the successful run game

Smith pointed out the Lions had 148 rushing yards in the first half but only 34 in the second half

Olowoski said the Lions' collapse was more about drops and turnovers than the coaching decisions

Sharpe said Detroit dominated and should have kept running the ball in the second half

Smith argued that with a 24-7 lead, the Lions should have played it safer and taken field goals

Olowoski countered that being aggressive is part of the Lions' identity that got them wins

Sharpe emphasized that Detroit could adjust tactics being up 17 points vs. their usual games

Drops by Josh Reynolds contributed to failed 4th down attempts

A key fumble by Jir Gibbs helped swing momentum to the 49ers

The Lions had only one turnover in the playoffs until the Gibbs fumble

The Lions got outgained 170 to 42 yards in the 3rd quarter with two drops

Transcripts

the winner of this game will take on the

Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58 to

the endone touchdown Detroit R jir Gibs

just dancing through the defense and the

Lions extend their lead it's been all

Detroit caught by is on fire here come

the ners CNC the 49ers have tied the

game and the lions will go for it

incomplete certainly that will be

questioned toss to 20 15 10 first and

goal to go

49ers

touchdown it's over the ners are going

to

[Music]

Vegas with their stunning 34- 31 come

from behind win against the Lions in

Sunday's NFC Championship game the ners

get a chance to avenge their Super Bowl

loss to the Chiefs to get there the

Niners needed to overcome a 247 deficit

after a first half the veteran Le Niners

rattled off 27 consecutive second half

points and surged to the win Detroit

letting a huge opportunity slip away

after the game Dan Campbell asked about

two questionable decisions to go for it

on fourth

down they were bleeding the clock out

that's what they do um and I wanted to

get the upper hand back um you know and

it's easy hindsight and I get it you

know um I get that

but I don't regret those decisions and

that's hard you know it's hard because

you know they didn't we didn't come

through we wasn't able to to work out

Dan's going to catch a lot of heat for

the fourth down decisions I know how you

guys feel about when he keeps the ball

in your hand how much do you think those

changed the momentum of the game no I

loved them we got to convert huge the

first one yeah huge I think that was the

Turning Point um and just getting GF off

the spot kind of making them

uncomfortable back there we knew we

finally had a quarterback who's going to

be be on that spot

often all right Dan you spent seven

years of your career with the Detroit

Lions we know how badly you would have

liked to see them win and get there how

much of this collapse are you putting on

Dan Campbell in the coaching yeah very

little this let's be clear though this

is a disastrous collapse for Detroit to

be up 14- nothing to be up 247 and to

lose in that way disaster I put very

little on Dan Campbell everyone's

talking about kicking field goals and

whatnot let's put into context one this

is not analytics driven only this is who

we are Detroit who we're playing against

San Francisco Detroit was dominating

this game and any facet that they wanted

to throughout this game they were

running the ball in the perimeter that

we talked about Jared G was delivering

the ball Gibbs was being spectacular

with the ball in his hands the fourth

and two so third down happens Fred

Warner makes a great play fourth and two

they go for it and this game quarter

fourth and two they throw the the ball

to Josh Reynolds he drops it then we

come back and then there's going to be a

a drop on third down by Josh Reynolds in

the third quarter and then there's the

fumble by Gibbs in the third quarter all

led to 17 points Dan Campbell not

kicking field goals doesn't lead to

those two drops Dan Campbell not kicking

field goals doesn't lead to that Gibbs

fumble the reality was they've made

their way they were outgained 170 to 42

in the third quarter they they're like

two drops in that third quarter alone

that's the most in a game that they've

had all season long all season long Dan

Campbell did not do that that's their

first turnover in the playoffs that Gibs

fumble this is not on Dan Campbell

whether to kick field goals or not they

won four games this year by deciding to

play that style of football this was in

the third quarter they choked they had

done things that they had not done all

season and all playoffs long credit San

Francisco and Brock FY they took

advantage of them but this is about that

third quarter and just disastrous

collapse more so than kicking field

goals or not kicking field goals I

respect I respectfully disagree with you

um I like Dan Campbell a lot I think

he's done a hell of a job um in in

turning this franchise around and making

them formidable I I really am fond of

him as a coach but I can't absolve him

from some blame yesterday like for

example I'm looking at these numbers in

the first half in olowski in terms of

you running the football and I'm saying

to myself what the hell is the problem

21 carries for 148 yards and three

scores in the first half you are running

rough shot over the San Francisco 49ers

you are literally looking like you're

playing Bully ball sh Shannon you're

looking like you're playing Bully ball

you're pushing them around you look more

physical Gibbs and Montgomery coming out

of the back field doing what they want

to do trick play uh the Jameson Williams

He skirts down for the side down the

middle of the field for the first score

of the game we watch them to know that

you can run the football we what do we

say about things two things travel in

come NFL playoff time defenses and

running games you got those two going

for you chances are you going to win a

game and guess what the San Francisco

49ers were shook they were getting

pushed around they were getting pummeled

and Detroit had all the momentum in the

world what possible excuse can you have

for running the football eight times in

the second half for 34 yards why because

Gibbs you know fumbled and and as a

result of that you got nervous why

didn't you continue to just run a

football you could have done that you

could have tried that you should have

tried that I'm not going to blame them

so much about py because py is not known

as the most mobile quarterback in the

world you didn't anticipate that his

Mobility would be such a factor as the

game waned I get that and I understand

that when they went for it the first go

round fourth and two or fourth and three

whatever it was I blame Josh Reynolds

for that he dropped the ball you got

catch that pass got to catch that pass

right but the second go round when they

did it in the third quarter when they

were trying to stop the momentum and

stop the bleeding um the play just

looked a bit discombobulated people

weren't on the same page um I'm sorry

that's not just on the play that play

happens because of Armstead the play is

there they're going to have an in route

to Reynolds huge completion Armstead

becomes Armstead they do a little twom

man stunt inside he gets unblocked yeah

yeah yeah but what I'm talking about is

how Josh Reynolds I mean obviously you

threw him the ball the ball wasn't near

him is what I'm trying to say it wasn't

near him all right all I'm that's all

I'm saying you can break that down if

you want to I'm not disputing that I'm

saying at the end of the day you're

going for it because you met you've had

a you've had a tendency to go for it on

fourth down you've done it almost more

than anybody else in the league great

and you've been at a 52% rate major

props to you but didn't work yesterday

and all I'm trying to say to you is that

you got to continue to run that football

you got to find a way to stop that

bleeding you got a 24 to7 lead at

halftime you do not have an excuse to

lose that game and to get blitzed in the

third quarter the way that you did I

mean Not only was the game tied the game

was tied by the end of the third quarter

tied by the end of the third quarter and

ultimately you ended up scoring 27

unanswered points before you put up

something I'm sorry I got to look at the

coach there and I gotta say yo man that

this was not your Shining Moment you're

absolutely right Stephen A I agree with

you Stephen A I disagree with you doo

Ste Stephen I remember when I was in

Denver and being one of the leaders

every time we left the locker room

during a playoff game I would always

tells the guys don't you be the one

don't you be the one that get a penalty

that cost us don't you be the one that

fmer the football that cost us coach

don't you be the one to try to be the

smartest man that ever play the coach

the game take those points because

instead of being tied you're still up

three because now if you're up if you're

tied cuz see now if you take the points

instead of being down three they scor

that touchdown when you miss it on

fourth down to be down 10 now you're

down three and guess what you go get a

touchdown you're tied in that situation

do you can't always what if Andy Reed by

nature he's an aggressive play calling

Coach what's Patrick Mahomes he's an

aggressive quarterback but in the third

and fourth quarter with the exception of

one play what did they do D they took

the air out of the ball because they say

the last thing that we want to do is

give the Ravens any type of momentum

it's okay to coach one way in one game

and then be some way totally different

we saw that with Atlanta everybody so

well that's what they do they throw the

ball you're up 283 run the effing

football Detroit you had run the E you

had dominated the 49ers defensive line

in the first half it was second and 12

and you hand the ball to Gibbs and he go

get 13 14 yards Montgomery up the middle

for five you getting five 8 10 12 14

yards a clip and you run the ball eight

times in the second half I got but we

got figure I don't know how many snaps

Detroit had in the second half I don't

think that that they ran you know like I

think I think the time of possession was

majorly swung and and snaps were swung

in the second half San Francisco in a

big advantage over Detroit so I I didn't

walk away from that game saying oh my

gosh Detroit abandoned the run in the

second half that third quarter they got

blitzed and it was because of drops and

that turnover that's why they lose this

game they don't lose this game because

Dan could you imagine Shannon here

here's my thing though Shannon if he

kicks field goals in that situation we

don't know if they would have won or not

there's people who believe that they

would have I don't know okay if they

kick field goals in that game and they

end up losing that game we would be

killing Dan Campbell today all of a

sudden you switched up and became

somebody that you're not that's why

we're talking about with Lamar a little

bit in the Baltimore game like you tried

to be something that you weren't all

season long that's who that's who

they've been and they've been great at

it they're 20 out of 24 on Fourth and

three or less this year let me ask you a

question how many times did they have

17-point lead though

but Shannon that's not the that that's

not the way he's thinking about it you

in a championship game Dio you have to

change a way of thinking you can't think

this you because you go home because you

go home and everybody calling you

calling you Dum because chanon they're

drops like we we we can't look if if

Josh Reynolds catches either of those

balls they're likely winning the game if

they block Armstead they're likely

winning the game so we're sitting here

killing the coach about we love the guy

for going for two all the time they beat

the Chargers because they went for it a

bunch of times I think they beat the

Bears because they went for it a bunch

of times like they won multiple games

this year because of the way that they

played and they executed it we he's got

to catch the

ball

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