YouTuber MMG "depressed" after Dan Campbell and Lions' loss vs 49ers: "We really choke the NFC championship"
It was a tale of two halves for Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell during the National Football Conference Championship Game on Sunday, January 28. The Lions dominated the San Francisco 49ers in the first half, building a 24-7 halftime lead.
However, the Niners flipped the script in the second half, outscoring Detroit 27-7 to win the game and earn the ticket to Super Bowl LVIII. A dream start turned into a disaster, a result Lions fans such as YouTuber MMG won’t forget soon.
Online personality MMG — born Matthew Meagher — tweeted after seeing Dan Campbell and the Lions lose the important game:
“Woke up today feeling depressed. That rarely happens…but then I remembered. It wasn’t a dream. We really choked the NFC Championship.”
Everyone supporting the NFC North squad had tears of joy and smiles when the Lions beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-23 on January 21 to clinch their first trip to the NFC Championship Game since 1991. They came extremely close to winning after getting three touchdown runs and a field goal in the first half on Sunday.
However, the home team erased the deficit and escaped with a three-point win. The Lions faithful could be singing a different tune if not for Dan Campbell’s aggressive approach instead of taking the points. He went for it on fourth-and-2 from the Niners’ 28-yard line, even if Michael Badgley could attempt a kick for three points from 46 yards.
Another instance in the fourth quarter could have been Badgley potentially tying the game with a 48-yard field goal. Instead, the Lions failed to convert, turning the ball over while being down three.
It’s a result that MMG, a Michigan native, will have to live by as the 49ers compete against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Aside from supporting the long-suffering Lions, Meagher was the placekicker for his high school football team.
Around that time, he started his YouTube channel Madden Mobile Gods, wherein he started gaining more followers while selling the video game’s virtual currency. The Madden Ultimate Team commentator has 2.7 million YouTube subscribers and 585,000 Instagram followers.
He also announced the Lions’ selection of tight end James Mitchell in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Dan Campbell and the Lions let a golden opportunity slip away
The Lions have amassed young but talented players through the draft on both sides of the ball. In the last two drafts, they’ve selected Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, and Jahmyr Gibbs on offense.
Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes also found defensive gems Brian Branch, Jack Campbell, Kerby Joseph, and Aidan Hutchinson.
However, Detroit will have a tough time returning to this position, especially with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys hoping to bounce back from disappointing finishes.
The Green Bay Packers could make it challenging for them to win back-to-back division titles. The New Orleans Saints and the Seattle Seahawks are fringe competitors that will compete for some Wild Card spots.