In a season finale where they have nothing to lose, the Detroit Lions reached into their bag of trick plays against the Packers.
With fourth down aggressiveness, occassional creativity and a few successful fake punts, the Detroit Lions have let it all hang out at times in Dan Campbell’s first season as head coach. For Sunday’s season finale against the Green Bay Packers, it was worth wondering if there would be anything new.
Trailing 7-0 late in the first quarter, that question was answered.
TD Trickery pic.twitter.com/JhpkjLqhpL
— DetroitSportsPodcast (@DetroitPodcast) January 9, 2022
Me in training camp: Thoughts on Tom Kennedy?
— kyle meinke (@kmeinke) January 9, 2022
Dan Campbell: "Do you like Tom?”
Me: Yes.
Campbell: “Do you like him a lot?”
Me: Yes.
Campbell: "I like Tom too. We’ll see where this goes. ”
Where it went: https://t.co/DkYmiLb6nB
First career pass, first career TD for TK‼️#GBvsDET | 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/oQFkefqNoT
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 9, 2022
Here's that Tom Kennedy TD pass. That's a nice design https://t.co/m2axC1NQPZ
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) January 9, 2022
There’s a lot going on there. Jared Goff fakes a toss to wide receiver Kalif Raymond, then he hands it off to Amon-Ra St. Brown. St. Brown then pitches to Tom Kennedy, who hits a wide open Raymond for a 75-yard score. St. Brown getting some carries in recent weeks surely had the Packers defense paying attention to him getting the ball, and set up the deception of the play play.
Lions trick play touchdown ties mark for team’s longest completion since 2015
The Lions' longest completions since 2015:
— Chris Burke (@ChrisBurkeNFL) January 9, 2022
1t. Tom Kennedy, 75 yards
1t. David Blough, 75 yards
3. Matthew Stafford, 73 yards
Tom Kennedy has now tied for the Lions’ longest pass completion since 2015, with David Blough from Thanksgiving Day 2019 (a 75-yard touchdown to Kenny Golladay). It’s also the longest touchdown pass in the NFL by a wide receiver since 1992.
.@Lions WR Tom Kennedy's 75-yard TD pass is the longest by an @NFL WR since Broncos WR Cedric Tillman threw an 82-yard score on Dec. 6, 1992.#OnePride pic.twitter.com/ZhzRbZjB0Z
— Detroit Lions PR (@LionsPR) January 9, 2022
The Lions also set the single-season record for fourth down attempts in Sunday’s first half (40, and counting…). There may be more trick plays in store as Campbell’s squad looks to end the 2021 on an interesting, and perhaps ultimately winning, note.
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