https://sports.yahoo.com/lions-commanders-one-thing-common-070736410.html
The Lions and Commanders have one thing in common — and it could decide who goes to the NFC Championship Game originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
When the Detroit Lions and the Washington Commanders square off in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs Saturday, don’t expect to see many punts or field goals.
The Lions and the Commanders are two of the most aggressive fourth-down teams in the NFL, and their coaches’ willingness to be bold will almost certainly be a major factor in who advances to the NFC championship game.
During the regular season, Detroit and Washington ranked second and third, respectively, in giving themselves the biggest edge on fourth downs in a formula devised by The Athletic’s Austin Mock.
The Commanders, in fact, are appearing in Saturday’s matchup in large part because of their mettle on do-or-die downs. Washington went for it five times on fourth down against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in its playoff opener. It converted three of those attempts, including a fourth-and-2 in the fourth quarter for a go-ahead touchdown.
“We were going to be bold but not reckless,” Commanders coach Dan Quinn said. Quinn kept going for it on fourth down even after the team didn’t convert its first attempt of the night.
“And I think that’s who we are the whole season,” he added. “But when you do get stopped early, you just have to stay the course knowing that ‘hey, keep your chin tucked and keep swinging,’ knowing that this is going to be a game that’s going to go all the way down to the end.”
While Washington finished first in the NFL in fourth-down conversion percentage during the regular season (87%) — the best mark in NFL history for a team with more than 10 attempts — Quinn is kind of stealing Detroit’s whole flow.
Since Dan Campbell took over the Lions in 2021, no other team has attempted more fourth-down conversions. Campbell was doing it even when his team wasn’t good, having introduced his bold strategy during the Lions’ 3-13-1 season in his first year at the helm.
Campbell’s unapologetic nature on fourth down has been polarizing, even as he has made it easier for coaches like Quinn to adopt a version of it for themselves.
In last year’s NFC championship game against the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit went 1-for-3 on fourth down in a 34-31 loss, a game in which they led by 17 at one point. Both failed attempts came while the team was in field goal range, including once while the 49ers led 27-24.
“I don’t regret those decisions,” Campbell said after the game.
Campbell shocked even some of the most analytics-pilled NFL onlookers this season when he attempted a late fourth-down conversion against the Green Bay Packers.
In a tie game with 43 seconds left, the Lions had a fourth-and-1 on the Packers’ 21-yard line. Green Bay was out of timeouts. A field goal would have given Detroit a 34-31 lead, and the Packers would have had to drive into field-goal range with no timeouts on their next possession.
Instead, Detroit went for it and picked up the yard on a handoff even after quarterback Jared Goff stumbled. The Lions were able to run down the clock and kick the winning field goal as time expired.
“You’d love to say that if you’re going to do that, you’re going to convert every one of them, but that’s not the reality,” Campbell said after the win. “It doesn’t always work that way. So, you know, you’re taking a high level of risk. There is risk with it, but I felt like with our guys, it wouldn’t be as big of a risk as it may appear to be.”
Will both coaches bring that same level of aggression Saturday? Detroit under Campbell doesn’t know how to play any other way. And it would be shocking if the Commanders, underdogs for the second straight game, let go of what got them to this game in the first place.
So don’t be surprised when it’s fourth-and-short in the fourth quarter and Campbell or Quinn decide to leave the offense out on the field. And win or lose, don’t be surprised when neither regrets the decision.
This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:
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