Heartbreak.

I am not a Detroit Lions fans and that was all I could feel after watching them lose 31-34 to the San Francisco 49ers in the 2023-2024 NFC Championship game.

It wasn’t just the fact that they lost, but more importantly how they lost that made it so much more excruciating. The amount of losing and suffering Lions fans have been through is well documented and to be so close to making the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history after having a 17 point lead at half-time will only add to it.

But even with all of that in mind, the worst part is that it all could have likely been avoided…

Head coach Dan Campbell has had an aggressive style since he became the Lions head coach and goes for it on 4th down more often than any other team in the league. But there is such a thing as being over aggressive and in this game it came back to haunt them.

On two different occasions in the 2nd half, the Lions decided to go for it on 4th down instead of attempting a field goal. In my opinion, it was the wrong decision both times.

The first one I felt changed the momentum of the game. It was 4th & 2 from the SF 28 yard line, the 49ers had just kicked a field goal to start the 2nd half to make it 24-10. Attempting/converting the roughly 45 yard field goal would have made it 27-10 and back to a three possession lead. I know field goals are not a guarantee, but considering kicker Michael Badgley had not missed a field goal all season, I like those odds. What really makes me question the decision even more is the risk/reward of it. The reward of converting and then potentially scoring a touchdown would have been a blow to the 49ers, but being up 31-10 would still only be a three possession lead.

The second one I thought was more justified, but still wrong. It was 4th & 3 from the SF 30 yard line and attempting/converting a roughly 47 yard field goal would have tied the game at 27-27. I can see how they wanted to go take the lead with a touchdown and force the 49ers to have to score a touchdown to win the game. However, the defense would still have had to make a stop, so why not tie the game and presuming they get the stop, just getting a field goal on the next possession could win the game.

I know there were other key mistakes the Lions made that contributed to the loss like the Jahmyr Gibbs fumble and Kindle Vildor’s missed attempt at an interception that ended up in a spectacular catch by Brandon Aiyuk. I just can’t help but think how those things happened after the first failed 4th down attempt and what would have been had the Lions just kicked the field goal.

Dan Campbell has said in post-game interviews that he has no regrets with the decisions he made, which makes him braver than me because I certainly would.