It was a story too good to have a fairytale ending. The Detroit Lions fell to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game, 34-31. Detroit will be void of a Super Bowl yet again.

Not only will they not be able to claim a Super Bowl title, they won't be able to claim a Super Bowl berth. They remain one of four teams to never make the big game and one of 12 teams to never win the championship.

It didn't look like that would be the case for the Lions in the first half when they grabbed a 24-7 lead. They were rolling, owning both sides of the line of scrimmage and rushing for 148 yards on the ground in the first half. But if you had watched the Lions this season, you would have known that this is what they do.

The Lions averaged 14.8 points per game in the first half, which was fifth-best in the league. But in the second half, they averaged 12.4 and allowed their opponents an average of 12.6 per game, ranking in the bottom five of the league in that category, per Team Rankings. Not to mention that the 49ers were one of the best in the league that allowed just 8.6 points per game in the second half to their opponents. All that went against the Lions in the NFC Championship Game.

With as much as this game meant to the Lions organization, if not more so to the entire city of Detroit, the fingers are already being pointed. Let's look at who deserves the blame for the NFC Championship Game loss.

Dan Campbell going for it on fourth down

Not one coach since he was hired has gone for it or been as successful at going for it on fourth down as much as Dan Campbell has. That proved to be his and the Lions' detriment against the 49ers when Campbell decided to go for it on a 4th-and-2 on the San Francisco 28 down 24-10. The result was unsuccessful and would be highly criticized afterward, especially considering that Campbell near the end of the first half decided to kick a 21-yard field goal instead of going for it on a 4th-and-goal at the San Francisco 3.

Campbell and Lions' fans like Eminem will be looking back on both of those plays asking what-if?

Jahmyr Gibbs fumbles late in the third quarter

Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions

Jahmyr Gibbs was one of the sensational rookie draft picks that the Lions hit on this season and was an influential part of the Detroit rushing attack. But he had a damaging fumble just one play into the Lions' second possession of the second half in just one play that placed the ball on the Detroit 24.

This was the ensuing possession after the 49ers had just scored to put them within seven points. Just four plays later, San Francisco would tie the game.

An overall second-half collapse by the Lions

Nothing seemed to work for the Lions in the second half. They were outscored 27-7 and let the 49ers score on all five of their offensive drives in the second half. They looked nothing like their dominating first-half selves.

They also allowed Brock Purdy to take control of the game, but surprisingly not with his arm but with his legs. He had five carries for 48 yards, helping extend drives by converting pivotal first downs late in the game.