The Detroit Lions got away with some awful clock management in the final minute of their Divisional Round victory on Sunday. But only because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers managed to be even more clueless.
Baker Mayfield was picked off by Derrick Barnes with 1:33 remaining, and the Lions essentially had the game locked up at that point. The Bucs had only one timeout left, but could have theoretically gotten the ball back with just a few seconds remaining.
As noted by Adam Moelis and several other heads-up fans, the Lions made a mind-numbing decision by snapping the ball prematurely instead of taking the clock all the way down.
Even more baffling? The Bucs didn’t bother to use their final timeout on the Lions’ final kneel-down that would have forced Dan Campbell’s group to run one more play with about 35 seconds left:
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If Tampa used the timeout, Michael Badgley would have had to kick a field goal from about 48 yards out to ice the game. If he misses, Tampa would have had good field position and the chance to tie the game.
Unlikely that a miracle would have actually transpired, yes, but crazier things have happened. The Buccaneers owed themselves that one last gasp, in a playoff game no less.
