Published by: AK98
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell displayed evident frustration following a contentious penalty that overturned a crucial 2-point conversion in their Saturday night defeat against the Dallas Cowboys.
In the game’s final moments, with just 23 seconds remaining, Lions offensive lineman Taylor Decker caught a pass that initially seemed to secure a lead for Detroit. However, Decker was penalized for illegal touching due to not reporting as an eligible receiver.
Still, Campbell and the Lions were undeterred.
The Lions repeated their attempt at a 2-point conversion (twice, to be exact), but were unsuccessful, leading to a narrow 20-19 victory for the Cowboys.
Campbell expressed his discontent post-game, emphasizing his frustration losing due to his maverick play-calling late in the game, and his disappointment stemming from the defeat:
“Would you be frustrated right now? I don’t like losing, and that’s what happened. We lost, and that bothers me. I don’t like having an L, so that’s the frustration.”
The incident led to conflicting reports between the Lions and the officials. Lions quarterback Jared Goff stated firmly that Decker had declared himself eligible, while backup offensive tackle Dan Skipper claimed he hadn’t reported as such. However, referee Brad Allen provided a contradictory statement in a pool report, asserting that it was Skipper who had reported as eligible and not Decker.
And just like that, the NFL cabal strikes again.
Or did NFL refs actually not throw a game in favor of a top-money maker and did their job correctly? The interviews after the game leave it open to interpretation.
Allen explained that the penalty was called because Decker, who he claims hadn’t reported as eligible, touched a pass that went beyond the line of scrimmage. Video evidence captured a conversation between Decker and Allen, after which Allen informed the Cowboys’ defense about Skipper’s eligibility.
In the Lions’ locker room after the game, both Decker and Skipper were reticent about discussing the penalty in detail. Decker mentioned he would be following his coach’s instructions, reluctant to roast the refs to avoid potential fines. Skipper followed suit.
Earlier, with 1:41 left in the game and the Lions trailing 20-13, Campbell told his boys they’d be shoving their chips to the middle. That, when they scored, they’d be going for the jugular.
Lions’ wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown caught a 11-yard touchdown pass from Goff with under 30 seconds to go, bringing the score to 20-19. Unfortunately for the Lions, that would be their last points of the game. Detroit’s efforts to convert two points were thwarted not one, not twice, but thrice times (twice due to penalties against both teams and finally by an incomplete pass to tight end James Mitchell).
Goff shared his disappointment regarding the penalty on Decker, noting the opportunities they had in the subsequent plays. Like a true professional, Goff recognized that it was the failed efforts of the team for the entire 60 minutes, and not just the final 23 seconds, opting not to put the entire blame on the refs:
“Yeah, that sucks. It’s unfortunate, man. I don’t know if I’ve had this feeling before where you feel like you’ve won and you didn’t. With that being said, though, the next two plays we had shots at it.”
Although, he could’ve been protecting his wallet, which is also a pro move. We all know how sensitive the NFL is about protecting their referees. Should anyone dare to question their work, or worse, their ethics…
So, was this more of a mental mistake by a Lions offensive lineman, or did the leader of the NFL cabal, Roger Goodell, leave his fingerprints on the game?
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