Bills Josh Allen will undoubtedly haunt Lions coach Dan Campbell, evidenced by boneheaded onside decision

Everyone questioned Lions head coach Dan Campbell's decision to attempt an onside kick early in the fourth quarter of Buffalo's 48-42 win over Detroit in Week 14.

Ronnie Eastham | 12 Hours Ago

Dec 15, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell reacts after the Buffalo Bills scored a touchdown on their first play after recovering an onside kick attempt by the Lions in the fourth quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

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The score was 38-28 with 12 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of arguably the two best teams in the NFL. The Detroit Lions just marched down the field in little more than two minutes, covering 70 yards, and scoring a touchdown on the Bills. I can only imagine what was going through Lions head coach Dan Campbell's mind when he decided to have his team attempt an onside kick at this point.

I liken it to a horror movie where the characters in the movie put on a cursed ring and suddenly, they are struck with fear of whatever their deepest fear might be. For Coach Campbell, that is undoubtedly Bills quarterback Josh Allen, and he will see Allen in his sleep for weeks. There is no question Allen is the reason Campbell elected to go for the onside kick. He knew his defense wasn't going to stop Allen and the Bills' offense. He knew he needed to do something drastic to keep the ball out of Allen's hands but unfortunately, for the Lions, Mack Hollins was all over it, returning the kick to the Lions' five-yard line, where Allen would score his fourth touchdown of the game.

Nov 26, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott talks with Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid before the game at Arrowhead Stadium. / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

We have observed several aggressive decisions made in recent weeks due to quarterbacks. Last week, the Rams' defense was struggling against Allen, and on a fourth and five, they chose to attempt a conversion rather than kick a field goal, all in an effort to keep the ball away from Allen. In the Bills and Chiefs game a few weeks ago, Bills coach Sean McDermott made a similar decision on a fourth down to keep from giving Patrick Mahomes the ball.

Don't worry Coach Campbell, you're not the only coach in the league trying to figure out how to stop Allen, who has been lights out this season, especially over the last few weeks. There are 30 other coaches who will be up at all hours of the night trying to find a way. Allen is on another level right now and is doing things not seen before. It'll be fun to watch the remainder of this season unfold.