Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback for the New York Jets, wasn’t shy about criticizing the NFL for the officiating mishap that led to the Detroit Lions’ downfall in their Week 17 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.
Rodgers expressed his opinion that the Lions-Cowboys incident demonstrated the current referees’ lack of accountability. He went on to say that because of the way referees have been treated over the years, only they are to blame.
Detroit Lions Get Screwed By Referees vs. Dallas Cowboys
In case you missed it, Amon-Ra St. fouled out with 23 seconds remaining in the game. Brown made a touchdown drive after catching a Jared Goff throw, bringing the Cowboys’ lead to 20-19. Detroit may have chosen to attempt a field goal for a tie or a two-point conversion for the victory.
Taylor Decker, an offensive lineman, was lined up as an eligible receiver after Dan Campbell and company made their decision. Goff’s toss to Decker to finish the convert for the lead gave the impression that the plan was working.
The Lions believed they had the game won and were already celebrating the score. However, referee Brad Allen raised two flags: one for an improper formation and one for an illegal touching penalty.
Allen asserted that Decker (no. 68) was not the eligible receiver in the play; rather, it was Dan Skipper (no. 70). Decker shouldn’t have been the one to catch the ball, hence there was an unlawful touching penalty. Regarding the illegal formation, Skipper wasn’t supposed to be covered up during the coverage because he claimed being eligible.
The Lions refuted Skipper’s report, stating that Decker was the only one to do so. Talks that the referee mispronounced the names began, despite the fact that camera replays showed Decker and Skipper approaching the official.
Nevertheless, the penalty resulted in the Detroit Lions’ score being waived off. Ultimately, the Dallas Cowboys managed to secure a crucial touchdown and deny their opponents the victory.
New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers Blames ‘Cheap’ NFL
Aaron Rodgers is clearly not pleased with what he has witnessed during the game. The quarterback for the New York Jets stated that he thought Brad Allen was at fault and mentioned that the referee had left before a valid report for an eligible receiver had been filed.
Taylor Decker’s report on the incident’s video replay made it obvious that there was a misunderstanding, however it’s also possible that the two other players who were close to the referee contributed to the confusion.
However, Rodgers stated that greater officiating is still required.
On The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, Aaron Rodgers stated, “I was part of the Fail Mary when the NFL got too cheap to pay the refs what they’re due.”
There should be some accountability because the conclusion of the Lions game has been discussed a lot. Brad Allen seems to have left before anything could be said.
Rodgers went on to say that only the greatest officials should officiate games of this nature since they carry such significant postseason ramifications.
“As players, we are aware of the best referees, and in the playoffs, they ought to be the best,” he continued.
In any case, the league just published a document outlining the correct way to report eligible receivers, rather of attempting to enhance officiating and hold referees more responsible.
Indeed, it appears that the league is placing more of the blame on teams and players than on the officials.
