Detroit Lions @ Dallas Cowboys 8:15 pm

[Wraith]

36 minutes ago, Motorin' said:

 

A tackle who reports still has to be lined up in an eligible position to go out for a pass. He wasn't the third lineman to the left of the center. He was the second, and thus the illegal touching penalty. 

That's not correct. The Lions had an unbalanced line which is legal. Decker, after reporting in, is basically a tight end. There is no rule about number of people on either side of the center. If Decker reported in, which he clearly did, the Lions formation is legal. 

[DCOrange]

1 minute ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

If you’re running a trick play and trying to disguise the reporting lineman I would think that you’d be aware of who the ref actually reports as eligible.

I don’t think that’s a reasonable assumption at all. One player reported as eligible and the ref acknowledged him. They all did their job perfectly and then turned around and started listening to their QB who was talking as the stadium announced it. Players are too busy and too focused to have to listen to a stadium announcement too, especially when they safely assume they already know what the stadium is announcing.

[Wraith]

13 minutes ago, Motorin' said:

 

In what world do they Lions hear 70 being reported as eligible and think it's going to be ok throwing to 68? 

The Lions had no timeouts left, they had no recourse, assuming they even heard the announcement (a big assumption as the announcement was not audible on the broadcast)   

[Utah John]

Aside from the two point play controversy, I noticed many plays where the Lions player running with the ball and tackled in the field, had the ball spotted at least a yard from where it was when his knee went down.  There was even a play near the end of the 4th quarter where the Lions RB got past the 10 yard line, setting up a first and goal, but the ball was at the 11!  Maybe this is a one-yard Cowboys home game tax that opposing RBs and receivers are required to pay.  

[Mikie2times]

3 minutes ago, Wraith said:

The Lions had no timeouts left, they had no recourse, assuming they even heard the announcement (a big assumption as the announcement was not audible on the broadcast)   

What I was thinking. This is sort of a stinky deal. Sure, it seems the refs made a mistake. They also announced the mistake they made before the ball was snapped. The Lions most certainly heard it but as you said, no time outs. It would have been nice for somebody from the Lions or Cowboys to have commented on this specific aspect. Detroit handled it post game reasonably well. It's not like they just torched the earth. But they did make it seem like they had no awareness that confusion could have occurred pre play. They could have taken the penalty and kicked. 

[starrymessenger]

I think the ref mistook #68 for #70 when 68 declared. 70 had declared in previous reps and was close by at the time.

[ExiledInIllinois]

32 minutes ago, Doc Brown said:

Dallas doesn't know if they'll get the ball in OT either so I don't get that logic.  Maybe he didn't trust Badgley to make a 38 yard extra point.

LoL... Sarcasm? Extra points are now 34 yards. 

[pigpen65]

Here's vid of the crooked ref acknowledging #68 reporting eligible:

https://twitter.com/_mlfootball/status/1741337495500107910?s=46&t=IddPls8yci1_avWfQoS9kg

Edited December 31, 2023 by pigpen65

[julian]

31 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Detroit purposely tried to disguise who was reporting. So in this case yes, they should’ve made sure the ref had the right player.

 

Doesn’t excuse the ref as he rushed it for no reason.

I have a problem with the ref apparently not hearing Decker right in front of him declaring as eligible, but he does hear #70 declare from much further away as he’s running into the field and who never actually said a word to the ref.

 

 My best guess is the ref was in autopilot, just going through the motions of how the declaration of eligibility normally mechanically plays out and just assumed 70 running towards him was declaring.

 

 This is the best job I can do trying to defend the ref, it was careless and not worthy of continued employment in the NFL. The league needs to send a clear message that this nonchalant approach to officiating won’t be tolerated.

[HerdMentality]

Dallas win helps our SoS, maybe draft position?

[Doc Brown]

41 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

LoL... Sarcasm? Extra points are now 34 yards. 

They're 33 yards and I believe the five yard penalty would've made it a 38 yard extra point.

[Big Blitz]

2 hours ago, MikePJ76 said:

I just want to add besides the absurd ending, the officials missed a blatant PI on jourdan lewis.  He was all over the lions wr before and after the ball was thrown and there was no flag...they just let dallas do it on that final drive but the lions overcame it.  

 

 

 

It must be January….

[Toledo Bill]

2 hours ago, Nitro said:

People will be fired in the off season for this.  The NFL referees have had a very bad season.  Looks like the league should do an overhaul of the officiating.   

Regrettably, no. Useless Goodell will say studies show the refs are doing a great job. It’s easy to despise elements of the NFL.

[Doc Brown]

2 hours ago, CircleTheWagons99 said:

I dont mind goiing for the win but after the penelty you kick the fg and play OT. 

I think Campbell was so heated from the penalty he wasn't thinking straight.  That's all I got.

[Dr. Who]

3 hours ago, HappyDays said:

Just ridiculous how the NFL finds new and exciting ways to screw up big moments in big games. And it always seems to hurt the same teams.

If you ever get a Bills-Lions Superbowl, the poor refs won't know who to favor with selective incompetence.

[JohnNord]

It seems like a major screw up by Brad Allen and his crew.  The league is now going into damage control and claiming that #70 reported but all of the video (and audio) will point otherwise.

 

I know we’ve seen the officiating crew converse on the field and also for the “sky judge” to step in and help make the ruling.  I’m not sure why this didn’t happen 

[BillsfaninChicago]

5 hours ago, DapperCam said:

Kind of reminded me of the short hop to McKenzie during the first Dolphins game last year.

Regardless, Goff made about 8 perfect throws in a row. It's a lot to ask for a 9th.

Ugh I knew that looked familiar!

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

refs have and will continue to ruin the game.

 

 

Referee Brad Allen may have cost the Detroit Lions a win against the Dallas Cowboys

ref screws detroit

 

We at Touchdown Wire have had issues with referee Brad Allen before, and with good reason. And now, it’s entirely possible that Allen and his crew cost the Detroit Lions a win they should have had.

 

 

Not that any pool report from such an unreliable referee would be worth the paper it’s printed on, but it will be certainly interesting to see what — if anything — Allen and/or VP of Officiating Walt Anderson have anything to say about it. Right now, it seems that Allen missed Decker’s attempt to report as eligible. If that’s the case, Allen cost the Lions a potential win, and given every other grievous error he’s made this season, he should never be allowed to have this position in the NFL ever again.

 

It’s as simple as that.

[BMWR100RT]

This whole sequence is just disappointing for the NFL. What will this game be called?

[Dr. K]

Allen completely screwed the Lions. That should end his career as a ref, and it, and the many other failures, big and small, of the officials this season, ought to cause the NFL to do something about the erratic reffing in the league.