Dan Campbell Reflects How 49ers Loss Will Benefit Lions

Campbell believes loss will be a positive in long run.

INDIANAPOLIS — Wednesday will mark exactly one month since the Detroit Lions’ painful loss in the NFC Championship Game, so Dan Campbell was asked to reflect on that game when he spoke at the combine Tuesday.

Campbell doesn’t look back in regret at the aggressiveness with which he operated in that 34-31 loss against the San Francisco 49ers, but there is one decision he’d like to have back — running the ball on third-and-goal on the Lions’ final drive.

The Lions were able to score a touchdown on fourth down, but that was after they had to burn their first of three timeouts of the second half.

While the reality is pulling out a comeback at that stage would have been a long shot at best, being left with two timeouts after scoring with 56 seconds remaining left the Lions in a position to basically need an onside kick recovery — something that practically never happens these days.

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The 49ers indeed recovered the onside kick attempt and were able to run out the clock, with Brock Purdy taking a knee after they took an intentional delay of game penalty with 1 second left.

"I would say, look you're always going to, like for me, I'm always going to look back and reflect on every game that happens,” Campbell said Tuesday. “Particularly, the losses, those always hurt worse. My job is to … If I can alleviate pressure, where do I do that? Where do I give our team the best chance to win?

“The only thing that if I could go back, that I felt greedy, was at the very end of the game. And instead of just deciding what we're going to do on fourth down to hold the timeout, you can run it — to do it on third down. I should have waited 'til fourth. At least you score, you can hold on to that last timeout. But I did. I got a little bit … I thought we were just going to pop the run. But, hindsight, the smarter thing is, you throw it, and at least you know the clock stops or you score. And you hold the timeout for one more chance for another opportunity."

Based on the way Campbell talked during his combine media session, one would think this was a lesson learned — as was everything about that NFC Championship Game, the Lions’ first since the 1991 season.

"I think absolutely we can benefit from it,” Campbell said. “To me, you should benefit from every loss. I think if the losses don't motivate you to not lose again, and for sure not lose an NFC Championship Game, then something's wrong. To me, that's the ultimate. You just don't want to have that feeling anymore. You should do whatever it takes not to want to feel that. Absolutely we'll benefit from that."