C.J. Moore was shocked when the play call came in.
It was fourth-and-8 early in the third quarter and the Detroit Lions had the ball at their own 26-yard line, up seven points in a game against the division rival Minnesota Vikings with their playoffs hopes on the line.
The Lions lost to the Vikings in September on a coaching decision that burns Dan Campbell to this day, and here the head coach was, in the game of the season, defying conventional wisdom again.
Moore, like most everyone else at Ford Field on Sunday, figured the Lions would punt and trust a defense that had played well in the first half.