
The Detroit Lions' 45-31 playoff loss to the Washington Commanders was full of missed opportunities, and one play in particular left many fans scratching their heads. With the Lions leading 7-3 and driving deep into Commanders' territory, Detroit faced a pivotal third-and-1 from the Commanders’ 17-yard line.
The Lions chose to line up in an empty backfield formation, opting for a pass play instead of relying on their run game or a traditional short-yardage play. The result? Quarterback Jared Goff was sacked, fumbling the ball, which was then recovered by the Commanders, abruptly halting a promising drive.

On Monday, head coach Dan Campbell was asked about the decision to go empty in such a critical moment. Rather than express regret, Campbell stood by his choice, explaining the reasoning behind the play call.
“We Were Ready to Go for It on Fourth Down”
Campbell pointed out that the Lions were prepared to go for it on fourth down had the third-and-1 play not resulted in a sack and fumble. The goal, he explained, was to get the first down on third, but if not, they'd have another shot on fourth.
“We were ready to go for it on fourth, so we'd run it on fourth if it didn't take place,” Campbell said. “We liked the matchup with [Amon-Ra] St. Brown on Wagner, and it's a play we've run, man, I don't know, 50 times this year or something. It just didn't work out.”
What Went Wrong
Despite the confidence in the play call, the execution was far from ideal. Campbell acknowledged that the misfortune of the situation—Goff's slip and the pressure that led to the sack—played a major role in the disaster that unfolded.
“It was the perfect storm,” Campbell admitted. “Just a little bit of a slip, Goff has to choke the ball, he moves up, we get beat. It's not a seven-step, it's a three-step, so it happened fast and then bop-bop, disaster.”

Dan Campbell's Resolve: No Regret
While many fans and analysts criticized the decision to go empty, Campbell expressed no doubt in the play call or his team's ability to execute it.
“I don't worry about that, I'm not second-guessing that,” he said. “If I had to do it over again, I'd do the same thing. I know that's a hard pill to swallow. It just didn't work out for us.”
As the Lions look to regroup after their disappointing playoff exit, Campbell's confidence in his decision-making remains unwavering. Though the play did not go as planned, the head coach is resolute that the process and rationale were sound, and if presented with a similar scenario, he would stand by the same choice.
I saw what appeared to be a significant number of missed tackles by Detroit defenders. I watched number Zero (how appropriate) get faked out of his shorts and just watch the Washington player go by him. He didn’t even bother to join the chase. I know he was a first-round pick and comes with a 4r contract. Still, the Lions need a player who doesn’t rely upon constant holding (with all the critical penalties) to neutralize his opponent. The offensive line, despite the high accolades, could not provide Jared Goff with a passing pocket that provided sufficient protection and since Goff cannot scramble AT ALL, an upgrade either to the offensive line or the quarterback position needs changes.