NFL great scrutinizes Lions’ Dan Campbell for aggressive onside kick decision in loss to Bills
NFL legend J.J. Watt recently criticized Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell for his decision to attempt an onside kick early in the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The Lions were down by 10 points with about 12 minutes left in the game when they opted for the risky play. Instead of recovering the ball, Bills wide receiver Mack Hollins returned it 38 yards, setting up a Josh Allen touchdown pass to Ray Davis and extending Buffalo’s lead to 17 points.
Watt took to social media to express his confusion over the decision, questioning the logic behind attempting an onside kick with plenty of time left on the clock and only a two-possession game. He pointed out that onside kicks have a measly 7% success rate and likened the decision to attempting to wrestle a small bear just because one believes they can.
Despite Campbell’s belief that they would recover the kick, the Bills ultimately took advantage of the field position and secured the win. The Lions head coach admitted that he regretted the decision, acknowledging that he should not have attempted the onside kick.
The onside kick has become a less viable option in recent years due to rule changes that require teams to declare their intention to attempt one and limit when they can do so. Only 3 out of 41 onside kicks were successfully recovered entering Week 15 of the NFL season, leading to discussions about potential changes to revive the play.
NFL executive Troy Vincent suggested that the competition committee may need to explore options to make the onside kick a more competitive play and prevent it from becoming a “dead play.” The Philadelphia Eagles had proposed an alternative to the traditional onside kick last year, suggesting a 4th-and-20 attempt from the team’s own 20-yard line. If converted, the team would retain possession of the ball.
As the debate over the effectiveness of onside kicks continues, it remains to be seen whether any changes will be implemented to make the play more viable and strategic in the future. In the meantime, coaches like Dan Campbell may need to reconsider their decisions when faced with the choice of attempting an onside kick in crucial moments of the game.
