Why Lions Felt Fake Punt Would Work Against Eagles Starting Defense

Special teams coordinator explains why team tried a fake punt.

Detroit Lions linebacker Grant Stuard (15) celebrates with teammates after a stop on the kickoff | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions were not able to execute on a fake punt attempt against the Philadelphia Eagles.

A deeper look at the play caused many to wonder why Detroit's special team's unit would try a fake punt againt the starting defense of the Eagles.

Dan Campbell expressed he felt the team got the "right look" to believe they would be successful, but linebacker Grant Stuard indicated the Eagles had the play scouted quite well.

Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp was asked during his weekly media session why it made sense, given the strength of the Eagles is their stout defensive line.

"It doesn't sound good, but sometimes what doesn't sound good actually ends up being good. I think if you look around the league through the years, you'll see a handful of times where a defense has been on the field," Fipp noted. "And what happens, those guys, they don't think that the ball is going to get run on them, because they're out there.

"Every time they're out there, they just punt the ball. Then all of a sudden, you get up underneath their pads and you roll back for a yard," Fipp commented further. "It happens so quick on a guy that it ends up working out. And so, I would just say that there's a number of examples of that happening through the years in this league, where a guy gets caught off guard."

Fipp accepted responsibility and indicated he could have coached up the blocking scheme better.

"I could do better. I mean, our blocking technique could have been better at that level, and I could coach those guys better," said Fipp. "We could have fit them on better on the block. Certainly on the right hand side. On the left side, they got kind of went low on us. Would have been tough."

Against the Lions, opposing defenses and special teams units are increasingly aware of just how aggressive Dan Campbell and the coaching staff is.

Unfortunately for the Lions, the Eagles did react differently to the fake then they had previously shown on film.

Fipp explained, "They were definitely alert that, you know, we were an aggressive team, probably. And so, they played maybe a little bit different or a little bit more aggressive. But not a ton. But yeah, maybe a little, which is fair. At the end of the day for us, we could have executed better."