Dan Campbell, the head coach of the Detroit Lions, was visibly upset after a controversial penalty in Saturday night’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys rendered a possible go-ahead 2-point convert invalid.
With 23 seconds remaining, Lions offensive lineman Taylor Decker appeared to have won the game, but the officials called a penalty on him. Decker was given a citation for improperly reporting his eligibility, resulting in an illegal touching penalty.
In the end, the Cowboys stopped the Lions’ two-point attempt to win 20-19. After the game, Campbell expressed his annoyance by saying, “I don’t want to lose, and that’s what happened. I’m bothered that we lost. The frustration stems from the fact that I dislike receiving an L.
Referee Controversy Leaves Lions ‘Confused’ as Late 2-Point Try Negated in Cowboys Win (Credits: ESPN)
Conflicting reports surfaced from the referees and the Lions. Decker had reported as an eligible receiver, according to quarterback Jared Goff, but backup offensive lineman Dan Skipper had not. Referee Brad Allen, however, made the contrary assertion in a pool report, stating that Decker was not reported qualified and Skipper was.
In a video, Decker could be heard speaking with Allen, who provided the Cowboys with information. In the pool report, Allen provided clarification, saying, “[Decker] is therefore not allowed to touch a pass that over the line, which results in a foul. The problem is that while number 70 reported, number 68 did not.
Decker and Skipper decided not to discuss the specifics of the penalty after the loss. While Skipper remarked, “I have very few words that aren’t going to get me fined,” Decker claimed to have followed “exactly what Coach told me to do.”
With 1:41 remaining in Detroit’s last drive and behind 20–13, coach Campbell told his team they would continue to play aggressively and go for the win. Even though Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown scored a late 11-yard touchdown to tie the game at19-19, the Lions missed three consecutive 2-point conversion attempts. Two of the attempts—one against the Cowboys and the other against the Lions—were ruled invalid by penalties, while the last play ended with tight end James Mitchell receiving an incomplete pass.
Yeah, that stinks. Goff said, expressing his confusion with the flag on Decker. It’s too bad, dude. I’m not sure whether I’ve ever experienced the sensation of feeling like you’ve won even when you didn’t. Having stated that, we got a chance to try in the following two plays.
