Detroit Lions' Dan Campbell 'relieved' Lions got late stop vs. Giants

Interim New York Giants coach Mike Kafka defended his decision to pass on a field goal late in the fourth quarter to try for the game-clinching touchdown – a decision that opened the door for the Detroit Lions to rally for a 34-27 victory in overtime.

“Yeah, we did want to be aggressive," Kafka told reporters. "Just thought it was a good time to take points in that situation. Go up two scores and just hit a good flow. Wanted to just go up two scores."

The Giants, who never trailed in regulation and led by 10 points early in the fourth quarter, led 27-24 when they went on a 14-play, 86-yard drive that ate up most of the fourth quarter.

THE BIG PLAY: Even Amon-Ra St. Brown knows what Lions should do: Feed Jahmyr Gibbs

Jameis Winston converted three third downs on the drive – third-and-10, third-and-6 and third-and-17 – and the Giants had a chance to put the game away after reaching the Lions' 4 with a fresh set of downs with 3:19 to play.

The Lions stopped Tyrone Tracy Jr. for a 2-yard run on first down, Winston threw incomplete to tight end Theo Johnson on second down and Aidan Hutchinson and Derrick Barnes stopped Devin Singletary for a 4-yard loss on third-and-goal from the 2.

Rather than kick a 24-yard field goal to go up six points, the Giants elected to try and convert fourth-and-goal from the 6. Rock Ya-Sin deflected a pass to Johnson in the end zone, and the Lions drove 53 yards in 13 plays to tie the game on Jake Bates' 59-yard field goal with 33 seconds remaining.

"The big thing was we couldn’t give up a touchdown, for sure," Lions coach Dan Campbell said. "As long as we can keep it within one score, you’re good to go."

Campbell said he expected the Giants, who lost their sixth straight, to play for the touchdown and the win late.

"We thought they would probably go for it," he said. "I mean, he went for it a number of times, he did that with Green Bay last week, too. And that was a big stop. So, look, anything is going to help. Any fourth-down stop I’m going to feel good. And you’re going to be relieved, you’re going to feel better. Because you don’t have to go the distance [for a touchdown] anymore. You’re trying to win the game, but you’re just trying to get into a position where you can at least tie it and go finish it in overtime.”

No Dexter Lawrence

Jahmyr Gibbs' scored the go-ahead 69-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage in overtime, when the Giants didn't have their best run-stopper on the field.

Kafka said Giants nose tackle Dexter Lawrence "got a little nicked" and wasn't on the field to open the extra period.

"He was battling," Kafka said. "He gave us everything he had for as many plays as we could possibly get him in there. But there was a management part of that to make sure we could maximize him in certain situations – third downs, things like that where his pass rush could be in effect. So, he wasn’t out there for that first down.”

Gibbs ran untouched to the end zone on a "duo" rushing play up the middle. Offensive linemen Graham Glasgow and Tate Ratledge made a double-team block on Giants defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris, and Penei Sewell had a second-level block on linebacker Bobby Okereke to clear a path for Gibbs to the end zone.

Kafka said Lawrence "absolutely" would have been able to return to the game had Gibbs not scored on the first play of the drive.

"[The play was] just 'duo,' the run play," Lions quarterback Jared Goff said. "Every team runs it and he’s dang good at it. We were running it behind Penei and Tate and they’re really good at that deuce block up to the 'backer and it’s been a good run for us and that’s not the first time he’s taken that same exact play to the house. So yeah, when it came in the headset, you never know with him."

Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions expected Giants' 4th-down call, 'relieved' by 'big stop'