The Detroit Lions were in a good position on the road, facing a tough NFC opponent to steal a win. True to their attitude and approach all season, instead of playing for overtime, the Detroit Lions elected to go for the win. And while footage does appear that Taylor Decker reported to the referee, and was acknowledged, officials flagged the play and said that right tackle Dan Skipper had reported as eligible instead.
It appears that it was a refereeing mistake that ended up proving costly but this brings up another point. Why is it on the lineman to report in the first place? If the NFL is there for entertainment value, what is more entertaining than a trick play that rewards a player who often does not get any limelight?
Detroit Lions Doom Spelled Seasons Ago On The Call
Unfortunately for the Detroit Lions, this decision that players have to report as eligible happened nearly a decade ago.
During an AFC divisional playoff game, the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens saw the use of a lineman as a pass catcher. The rules then allowed for players with ineligible numbers to report with the screw, OR for typically eligible players to report as ineligible and remain at the line of scrimmage through the course of the play.
The completion to tight end Michael Hoomanawanui from the left tackle position drew the ire of the Ravens staff when running back Shane Vereen lined up at the right tackle position and looked to be asking for the ball.
This big play had the Ravens scream cries of cheating and led to the eventual rule that we saw incorrectly unfold on Saturday.
Detroit Lions Shouldn’t Be Penalized For A Defensive Lapse
If you are a non-traditional catch-playing player, in other words, your jersey number is 50-79 or 90-99, when you do report as eligible the referee will usually get on the loudspeaker to announce to the entire world that an unusual player may now potentially catch a pass, so be sure to be on the lookout!
The rule switch, and what we saw highlighted, the way this rule is implemented takes away great offensive scheme designs and rewards a defense that would otherwise be caught off guard. Imagine how great it would have been had the conversion from last night counted. how much more fun would it be if there wasn’t a Broadway production every time a lineman was going out for a pass?
Detroit Lions Pay The Price
With how the game ended for the Detroit Lions, the players and coaches were understandably upset. While not outright saying that they felt the game was stolen from them, their words were about as critical as you can be without getting a fine from the NFL.
With the division already clinched and despite going through the correct procedures and ensuing incorrect call, they find themselves outside of contention for the number one seed in the NFC.
Depending on if other teams can implode, this final referee decision looks like it will cost them a possible by, and further homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.
