In Week 17 against the Dallas Cowboys, the Detroit Lions took a chance when they tried a game-winning two-point convert with 23 seconds left. One of the more contentious incidents of the 2023 season transpired after that, and it seems the NFL holds the Lions accountable for it.
Detroit converted a 20–13 deficit into a one-point game with a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. With 23 seconds remaining, Lions head coach Dan Campbell stuck to his principles and tried the two-point convert that would have given his club the lead.
Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator for the Lions, designed the ideal play for the circumstance. Offensive tackle Taylor Decker, who was eligible to play, took a decoy to the end zone and was left wide open, which allowed for the successful two-point convert. However, Decker was ruled an ineligible receiver by the officiating crew, negating the play.
Dan Skipper, the Lions’ backup offensive tackle, was sent onto the field for the play. Detroit planned to deceive Dallas into thinking that Skipper had self-reported as eligible after racing towards the official. As it happened, Decker was the one who informed referee Brad Allen that he would be qualified for the play.
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But Allen made an expensive error. The senior referee saw Decker as doing his typical tackle job and declared Skipper eligible. Decker was therefore considered an ineligible receiver on the play and was flagged for improper contact. Although Allen made the mistake, it seems the NFL holds Detroit’s deceit accountable.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that the NFL has no intention of changing the process for players to report as eligible in 202. Rather, the NFL sees the aftermath of what transpired as a negative outcome of the Lions’ attempts to use “deception and gamesmanship,” with Detroit bearing the brunt of the penalties.
The NFL’s position is not unexpected. This season, the most common grievance expressed by players, coaches, spectators, and experts has been related to officiating. But throughout the season, league officials and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell have supported officiating crews.
The NFL is not expected to allow Allen’s staff to work a postseason game, therefore there are repercussions for them. The NFL’s belief that the team is at responsibility for its own officiating staff serves as another reminder to players and coaches that referees are rarely held accountable for their errors, even though the consequences were significantly worse for Detroit.
