Dan Campbell trusted his defense in a key situation Sunday, and it almost worked.
One of the NFL's most aggressive coaches all season, Campbell got unusually conservative late in the Detroit Lions' 20-16 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
With the Lions down seven points and less than 3 minutes to play, Campbell opted for a short field goal on fourth-and-5 from the Atlanta 8.
Riley Patterson made the kick and the Lions got the defensive stop they needed on the ensuing series, but Tim Boyle threw an interception with 33 seconds left that ended any hopes of a comeback.