Lions coach Dan Campbell and Commanders coach Dan Quinn may have been the two best coaches in the NFL this season at knowing when to go for it on fourth down.
“They’re excellent at it, we’re excellent at it,” Quinn said, via the Washington Post.
The Commanders were easily the most effective team in the NFL when going for it on fourth down, going for it 23 times and converting 20 of them for a league-leading 87 percent conversion rate this season.
The Lions have built a reputation as the league’s most aggressive team on fourth downs since Campbell became their head coach, and this year was no exception: The Lions went for it on fourth down 33 times, the fourth-most in the NFL in 2024, despite the Lions usually having the lead. The three teams that went for it on fourth down more than the Lions (the Browns, Bears and Giants) were three of the worst teams in the league and were usually going for it on fourth down out of desperation when they were losing late in games. Campbell goes for it when he’s losing, winning or tied.
Analytics have led to teams going for it on fourth down far more often than they used to. No teams have benefited from that more than the two teams that will meet in Detroit on Saturday night.
