Living legend Tom Brady is among noteworthy members of the NFL community who disagreed with controversial decisions made by Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell in this past Sunday’s NFC Championship Game that Detroit lost to the San Francisco 49ers, 34-31.
“I would’ve taken the points,” Brady said during the latest edition of his “Let’s Go!” SiriusXM show and podcast, per Ryan Gaydos of Fox News Digital. “I’ve been in those situations. I look at them and I say, OK, this is the opportunity for you to continue to keep the pressure on the 49ers to make great plays, and you were in a good position.”
Specifically, Brady was discussing how Campbell twice passed on attempting makeable field goals in fourth-down situations during the contest’s second half. The Lions failed to notch first downs on both occasions, but Brady acknowledged that Campbell had embraced “an aggressive mentality” throughout what became a memorable season for the franchise.
“I’m sure the players really wanted to go for it, you know, when you’re on the field, and you feel like you let him down,” Brady explained. “But at the same time, the coach has gotta make in his mind the best decision to win. And obviously, it didn’t work out for the Lions.”
As Michael David Smith noted for Pro Football Talk, Campbell also received criticism for calling a running play on third-and-goal with 1:05 remaining in regulation and his team trailing by 10 points. Campbell then burned a timeout that essentially left his side needing to recover an onside kick to extend the game, a task Detroit failed to accomplish.
“I definitely thought the handoff there late in the game, that was the one that I didn’t understand because you’re just, unless you saw some incredible look to walk the ball in, you just can’t take the chance that you’re gonna be stopped short and keep the clock running, because you just can’t get the ball back,” Brady said. “So that was the one that I just said I don’t know what they’re doing. And I thought it was just a flat-out error.”
Brady is set to take over as Fox’s lead NFL analyst at the start of next season, so he theoretically should have an opportunity to speak with Campbell about what happened at Levi’s Stadium as early as this coming September. The seven-time Super Bowl champion could become a hit among fans if he remains as honest in the booth as he is during his weekly “Let’s Go!” program.