One of the more exciting games in recent memory, the Detroit Lions vs. Cowboys NFL clash ended in controversy.
The match left the Lions with a 20-19 loss, but many believe victory was unjustly snatched from them.
At the heart of the dispute was an illegal touching penalty called against the Lions on their crucial two-point play attempt.
In the twilight of the game, with just 23 seconds left on the clock, the Detroit Lions launched an ambitious play to overhaul their one-point distinction.
With the option of securing an extra point through a kick, Lions" coach, Dan Campbell, chose the riskier path of a two-point play.
Confidence was not misplaced as quarterback Jared Goff successfully completed the pass to left tackle Taylor Decker.
The Lions camp exploded in jubilation, only to have their celebrations cut short by the officials" flag.
The joy in the Lions camp was drenched unexpectedly by a penalty—the notorious ‘illegal touching."
At the core of the decision is the NFL rule dealing with eligible and non-eligible receivers.
In the heat of the moment, it seemed as though Skipper, who had been on the sideline, entered the play and interacted with the ball illegally.
This miscommunication resulted in an alleged violation that cost the Lions the game.
The call sparked uproar from the Lions side. Campbell, although visibly furious, remained measured in his response to the referee, Brad Allen, to avoid any further penalties or fines.
"I don’t want to talk about it," Campbell said in a transcript. "I explain everything pregame to a tee, OK? I did that. Seventy reported [according to Allen]. Sixty-eight didn’t [according to Allen]. We threw it to 68. That was the explanation."
Similarly, an irate Skipper emphatically declared he “did not say a word to the ref."
Adding fuel to the controversy, ESPN"s overhead shot captured an intriguing pre-play scene:
Decker was seen approaching Allen, presumably to report himself as eligible.
The sequence of events raises questions on whether communication errors influenced the officials" decision.
"All I really want to say on it, just so I don’t get myself into trouble, I did exactly what coach told me to do," Decker said, via video from Nolan Bianchi of the Detroit News. "I went to the ref and said, ‘Report.’ It’s my understanding, too, that Dan [Campbell] brings up the possibility of those sorts of plays pregame. I did what I was told to do and did it how we did it in practice all week. That’s all I want to touch on with that."
Lions insist officials blew illegal touching penalty on two-point play. https://t.co/fIc8t8ZDrX
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) December 31, 2023
One theory thrown into the mix is that the Lions may have intended to confuse the Cowboys by sending Skipper from the sidelines while Decker was already in-game.
However, it seems the tactic only ended up baffling Allen and his team of officials leading to the controversial penalty.
This isn"t the first time Allen"s crew has been in the limelight for questionable calls.
They previously overlooked what could have been a game-deciding pass interference penalty in the Chiefs-Packers game, further casting their integrity under scrutiny.
