Dan Campbell explains bold fourth-down call in Lions' win over Packers

The Detroit Lions were facing what looked like a simple decision with 43 seconds left in their Week 14 game against the Green Bay Packers. The score was tied at 31, so many presumed that kicker Jake Bates would march on to attempt a go-ahead, 39-yard field goal.

Instead, Dan Campbell kept the offense on the field. He trusted David Montgomery to pick up the first down even after the veteran was stuffed for a small loss on a third-and-inches play.

The decision paid off, as Montgomery was able to burst through the line for a 7-yard gain. A couple of plays later, Bates trotted on to attempt a game-winning, 35-yard field goal with just 2 seconds left on the clock.

The ball split the uprights as the clock ticked down to zero, giving the Lions a 34-31 win.

Campbell provided an explanation for his bold call during his postgame news conference. He didn't want Jordan Love and the Packers' offense to have a shot to tie it up or win it at the end of regulation.

"I just felt like we needed to end it on offense," Campbell told reporters. "I did not want to give that ball back. I believed we could get that. I believed we could convert. I trusted that O-Line, I trusted David, and they came through for us."

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Campbell also gave offensive coordinator Ben Johnson credit for dialing up the play that helped seal the game. The Lions head coach similarly credited his players for positioning him to make that critical decision.

"I knew how I wanted to play this game," Campbell said. "The team knew, and everything in me told me, 'Let's finish this.' And we did."

Of course, the plan didn't work out entirely as Campbell envisioned. Quarterback Jared Goff was stepped on and stumbled as he took the ball from under center, but Goff still managed to get the ball to Montgomery as he fell to the ground.

Campbell appreciated the effort his starting quarterback made to finish the play.

"He's an athlete," Campbell said. "He got that thing handed off and David did the rest. It was great."

Campbell's aggressive decision-making wasn't just on display during the final drive. The Lions went for it on fourth down five times in the contest and went 4-of-5 on those attempt. That included two in goal-to-go situations that resulted in touchdowns.

The Lions are now 12-1 — thanks, in part, to Campbell's gutsiness — and set a franchise record with their 11th straight win. Detroit wrapped up a playoff berth and can focus on challenging for an NFC North title and the conference's No. 1 overall seed over its final four games.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dan Campbell 4th down decision: Lions coach explains late game call