Three NFL Coaching Decisions We Liked and Two We Didn't

Kyle Shanahan, who has a reputation for quickly falling out of love with quarterbacks, showed commitment to Brock Purdy in the summer after the San Francisco 49ers traded Trey Lance, the 2021 No. 3 pick the team acquired after relinquishing three first rounders.

But making Purdy a starter in training camp isn’t the kind of devotion that can’t whither away after a few seasons. The true show of loyalty arrived Sunday when Shanahan told Purdy to let it rip downfield to help the 49ers climb out of a 17-point deficit against the Detroit Lions during the NFC title game.

Purdy became the clear-cut guy in San Francisco after his deep pass bounced off the helmet of Kindle Vildor and into the hands of Brandon Aiyuk for a 51-yard completion. The 49ers fed off Purdy’s passes and mobility to defeat the Lions, 34–31, and advance to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas to face the Kansas City Chiefs.

Purdy probably guaranteed he’ll be the 49ers’ starter for the 2024 season thanks to his postseason heroics, but a Super Bowl victory might make him the starter for many years to come. As of now, Purdy at least has Shanahan’s full confidence, and the 44-year-old coach will likely depend on him again against the Chiefs in pursuit of the franchise’s sixth Lombardi Trophy.

Shanahan made the right decision to lean on Purdy, who had 267 passing yards and 48 rushing yards. The 49ers’ offensive play-caller also deserves credit for making Aiyuk a focal point in the offense and for expanding the playbook with fullback Kyle Juszczyk, whose versatility caused issues for the Lions’ defense.

Here are other coaching decisions we liked—and some we didn’t—from Championship Sunday in the NFL.

Calls we liked

Lions get aggressive on fourth down

I’m probably in the minority here based on the backlash Dan Campbell received for his fourth-down decisions against the 49ers. But my mind hasn’t changed: Campbell was right for sticking to his aggressive ways and playing to win the NFC title game.

I have no problem, however, criticizing the plays called from offensive coordinator Ben Johnson on the two failed fourth down attempts. But even then that’s somewhat nitpicking because Josh Reynolds dropped the pass that would have gotten the first down on fourth-and-2 from San Francisco’s 28-yard-line. Had the Lions converted and went on to score a touchdown, that would have given them a 31–10 lead midway through the third quarter. That’s playing to win.

Had the Lions gone for a field goal to go up 27–10, perhaps they’re in a tight game tied 27–27 in the final quarter. And even then it’s probably a 50–50 game. On the second failed fourth down, perhaps the Lions should have gotten Jahmyr Gibbs involved for a quick dump off against the 49ers’ pressure. But we can play this game of hindsight 20/20 all day.

Also, it’s fair to criticize Campbell for burning a timeout too soon and for not calling a pass play before David Montgomery was stopped for a two-yard lsos at the 1-yard line in the final minute of regulation. But by then it was too late.

Campbell took his shot and missed, and his players are O.K. with going down on their terms.

Chiefs lean on their dominant defense

Sometimes, less is more. That’s what Patrick Mahomes provided, with an efficient performance in the AFC title game victory against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Chiefs didn’t ask Mahomes to save the day, despite playing in a one-possession game. Chiefs coach Andy Reid needed Mahomes to make plays in critical moments, but for the most part, the team leaned on defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and his dominant unit.

While the Chiefs stayed composed and executed their game plan, the Ravens were left frustrated. But Mahomes and Travis Kelce set the tone early and dominated the time of possession (37:30 to 22:30) to get the Ravens’ offense out of rhythm.

Calls we questioned

Ravens go away from the running game

The Ravens went away from what got them to championship weekend. It’s never a good sign when Lamar Jackson has 37 passing attempts compared to Baltimore’s mere 16 rush attempts.

Again, it was a one-possession game for most of the day, but Jackson often held the ball too long due to the Chiefs’ standout coverage against the Ravens’ pass catchers. It was strange that Jackson didn’t use his legs more. But he was programmed to stay patient with the passing game this season. It was on offensive coordinator Todd Monken to call more run plays to establish a rhythm and avoid predictability.

Lions also go away from the running game

The Lions stayed committed to their aggressive ways on fourth down, but the same can’t be said about their rushing attack.

Detroit went away from Montgomery and Gibbs, as the 49ers scored 27 unanswered points in the second half. Perhaps they got spooked after Gibbs’s costly fumble in the third quarter, which led to a 49ers’ touchdown. The Lions’ ground game finished with 182 rushing yards, but 132 came before halftime.