Lions Official: Penalty on 2-Point Try vs. Cowboys ‘Worst Call’ He’s Ever Seen in NFL

Mike Chiari@@mikechiariFeatured Columnist IVDecember 31, 2023

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The Detroit Lions continued to lament a controversial penalty on a late two-point conversion attempt in Saturday’s 20-19 loss to the Dallas Cowboys during the aftermath of the game.

During an appearance on SportsCenter (beginning at the 50-second mark) on Sunday, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter said a Lions official told him the penalty was the “worst call he had ever seen in a game.”

After scoring a touchdown with 23 seconds remaining, Lions head coach Dan Campbell chose to go for two and the lead rather than one and the tie.

It initially looked as though the Lions had taken a 21-20 lead when quarterback Jared Goff found offensive tackle Taylor Decker in the end zone on a tackle-eligible play, but the Lions were flagged for illegal touching due to the assertion that Decker did not declare himself eligible to an official.

The Lions went for it again anyway, but Goff’s pass to tight end James Mitchell came up short, and Dallas held on to win 20-19.

Per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard, referee Brad Allen explained his side of things after the game, saying Decker did not report as eligible, while another offensive lineman, Dan Skipper, did.

Goff denied Allen’s account, saying it was Decker who reported. Skipper also said he did not report as eligible to the officials.

When asked about an apparent conversation he had with Decker before speaking to the Cowboys’ defensive line before the two-point play, Allen said: “That conversation is where [Skipper] reports to me, and I then go to the defensive team, and I say to them, ‘[Skipper] has reported as an eligible receiver,’ so they will be aware of who has reported.”

Regarding the apparent misunderstanding, Decker said after the game that he did “exactly what Coach told me to do.”

Saturday’s result was significant in terms of playoff positioning in the NFC since the Lions entered the week with an 11-4 record, which was tied with the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles for the best record in the conference.

While a win would have allowed Detroit to continue to vie for the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs, the odds of accomplishing those goals plummeted with a loss.

Dallas improved to 11-5 with the win, putting it a half-game behind the Eagles for first place in the NFC East.

The Eagles are heavily favored to beat the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, but if they lose, they will be tied with the Cowboys for the NFC East lead entering Week 18.

Because of the way things played out Saturday, Allen and his group of officials could face consequences.

According to Schefter, Allen’s crew is expected to be downgraded for the playoffs, meaning many members of his team may not officiate during the postseason at all.