I respect what Dan Campbell has done as coach of the Lions. It’s not easy to lift a doormat within one victory of their first Super Bowl.
Still, Campbell’s decisions to eschew two field goals helped the 49ers rally to beat the Lions 34-31 in the NFC Championship. Detroit had led 24-7.
Leading 24-10, Campbell went for it on 4th and 2. I know all season long he would go for it. That doesn’t make it right. When the Lions didn’t pick up the first down, the whole game changed. A made field goal would have made it a three-score game.
Yes, the 49ers got lucky to get a big play to set up a touchdown to get within seven. Still, the Lions set those wheels in motion.
Later, down by three at 27-24, Campbell again went for it on 4th down. Instead of tying the game, an incomplete pass gave the ball to the 49ers. They marched down and scored a touchdown, essentially clinching the victory.
Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs are headed to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in five years. The Chiefs grabbed the AFC Championship with a 17-10 victory at Baltimore.
Think of the Lions and their fans. The Super Bowl has been around since the 1966 season.
Detroit has never even made it there. I’m not talking about never winning it. They’ve never even been there. Their last NFL championship was in 1957.
The Chiefs have a chance to become the first back-to-back Super Bowl champions since the New England Patriots after the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
Former Packers assistant coach Andy Reid used to face taunts that he couldn’t win the big one. Now, he’s there seemingly every season as head coach of the Chiefs. It’s nice to have Patrick Mahomes. And Travis Kelce (and Taylor Swift.)
And this year, the Chiefs defense is solid.
The 49ers have shown vulnerability against the Packers and Lions, but survived to beat both teams.
There’s two weeks to go before Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, so I’m not going to rush into a prediction. The Chiefs and the 49ers. A rematch of the Super Bowl four years ago when Kansas City won. They meet again.