Football has an officiating problem that needs to be addressed next season, especially since the league stands to make so much money on its deals with sports betting companies.
It’s time for the NFL to clean up its act.
I won’t go through the litany of bad calls that Lions fans have endured over the years because that’s irrelevant.
I’m also not blind to the fact that the Lions offense failed to put enough points on the board Saturday by missing opportunities all night long. Or that there were other botched calls in this game that helped the Lions.
The game played out the way it did. It offered a surprising, exciting finish.
Let’s look at “the play,” however, that decided the game.
The Lions had just scored a touchdown with 24 seconds left in the game to pull within one point of the Cowboys at 20-19, and head coach Dan Campbell had elected to go for a two-point conversion to win the game without going to overtime.
It appears referee Brad Allen, who was curiously hurrying between plays even though the clock was stopped, confused offensive lineman Taylor Decker (number 68) with backup tackle Dan Skipper (70). All game, Skipper had been checking in. That was a ruse to set up the Decker play. That was the point. That’s why Allen needed to pay attention to what was happening on the field rather than mindlessly rushing through the final 30 seconds of the game.
We can see video of quarterback Jared Goff reminding Decker in the huddle to check in with Allen, and the big man leaving to do just that.
We can see video of Decker checking in with Allen, who also appears to nod affirmatively to Decker.
We can see video of Skipper nearby, but not engaging Allen.
Goff starts the two-point conversion, Decker breaks left into the end zone. Goff lofts a perfect ball to Decker, scoring the go-ahead points.
Then amazingly, Allen calls a foul. Allen announces that 68 was not an eligible receiver.
Campbell loses his mind on the sidelines.
Before the game, “Gamble Campbell” walked refs through that specific play, designating 68 as the eligible receiver. That’s common practice when the team believes it will employ a trick play. A Fox 2 Detroit report confirmed that Campbell discussed the play with refs, emphasizing 68 as the end zone target in the two-point conversion – not 70. After the play, you can see him pleading his case to Allen – “I told you. I told you.”
Allen was unpersuaded. Despite the fact that every scoring play is reviewed – no one scrutinized the check-in between Decker and Allen.
After the game, Allen told a pool reporter that Decker didn’t report (even though we can see him on video standing in front of Allen), and that Skipper, who never got close to Allen, did.
“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 and then I return to my position,” Allen said in the pool report. “That was the conversation with the defensive line.”
It’s clear that Allen was confusing Decker with Skipper.
With the game over and decided, all you have left is the arguing.
Some are blaming Decker for not being obvious enough while he was checking in. I’m not sure what else the man needs to do – it’s not like he walked over to Allen to make small talk. “Those stripes are really slimming on you, Brad. Looking great out here!”
Why did Allen think Decker was coming over to him? Why wasn’t he curious enough to pay attention to Decker?
What will likely happen this week is that the NFL will offer a lukewarm statement blaming “both sides” for the confusing conclusion. Yet, its Allen’s crew that has been at the center of numerous botched calls this season – not Decker or Skipper or the Lions.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that Allen’s crew will be removed from officiating any playoff games based on their recent controversies.
