Breaking: Brad Allen Provides Official Justification for the Disaster That Killed the Detroit Lions

Breaking: Brad Allen Provides Official Justification for the Disaster That Killed the Detroit Lions.

Naturally, the Detroit Lions felt that their Saturday Night Football matchup with the Dallas Cowboys was rigged to prevent them from winning.

After all, with just 23 seconds remaining, the Lions appeared to have scored a two-point conversion off a Jared Goff pass to Taylor Decker (no. 68), giving them the advantage. The Detroit offensive lineman was called for an illegal touching penalty, though, so the conversion was waived.

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It appears that Decker did not report to referee Brad Allen as an eligible receiver; offensive tackle Dan Skipper (number 70) was declared as an eligible receiver.

Taylor Decker, Dan Campbell, Jared Goff, Dallas Cowboys, and Detroit Lions
On Saturday, December 30, 2023, during the second half of the Lions’ 20-19 loss at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, head coach Dan Campbell of the Lions celebrates a touchdown against the Cowboys with tight end Sam LaPorta.
Head coach Dan Campbell and the Lions received that explanation following the game. Although the players have refuted the reporting—including Skipper, who claims he did not report as an eligible receiver—the officials and referee Brad Allen have stood by their decision.

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We had a situation where you were supposed to notify the referee if you planned to have an ineligible person occupy an eligible position. After reporting a few times during the game, number 70 on this particular play informed me that he was eligible. Next, he prepared himself at the tackle position. So, in reality, he didn’t have to report at all,” Allen said in response to a question regarding the Lions’ penalty during the game, as reported by Colton Pouncy of The Athletic.

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The player who ultimately went downfield and touched the pass, number 68, failed to show up. He is therefore ineligible to touch a pass that crosses the line, rendering it a foul. The problem is that while number 68 did not report, number 70 did.

Allen went on to explain why two flags were raised during the play that resulted in the Lions’ two-point conversion being waived. When he lined up for the play, he was in the incorrect formation because Skipper reported to him as an eligible receiver. Together with the call on Decker, that increased the penalty.

This formation is illegal because, despite reporting as eligible, number 70 was covered up on the line of scrimmage. Brad Allen continued, “So, number 70 is in an illegal position because he is covered up by rule, and number 68 catches the pass, which is also illegal.

The Detroit Lions are clearly confused by the current situation, and even though they still had a few opportunities to score the two-point conversion after the Cowboys were flagged for an offsides penalty in the play that followed, they were unable to do so. Dallas managed to hang on for the 20-19 win in the end.

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Taylor Decker, Dan Campbell, Jared Goff, Dallas Cowboys, and Detroit Lions
Arlington, Texas, USA; December 30, 2023; At AT&T Stadium in the fourth quarter, Detroit Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker (68) caught a two-point conversion against the Dallas Cowboys that was later overturned by a penalty. Essential Reference: Kevin Jairaj, USA TODAY Sports
The wrong eligible receiver was announced, leading many Detroit Lions supporters and NFL watchers to believe that the referee miscommunicated. The referee is being held accountable for his possible confusion over who reported to him, as the Lions maintain that Decker was the one who made the report.

Taylor Decker and Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions Speak Up
Regarding the play in question, Taylor Decker noted that he informed referee Brad Allen that he was the eligible receiver.

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After the game, the seasoned offensive lineman told reporters he just followed instructions.

“I did exactly what coach told me to do, so I didn’t get myself in trouble,” Decker stated, as reported by Nolan Bianchi of Detroit News. “I went to the referee and said, ‘Report,’ yes. According to what I understand, Dan discusses the potential for those plays during the pregame. I carried out my instructions exactly as we had practiced throughout the week.

Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions, who also mentioned that he is aware that teammate Dan Skipper did not, backed up Decker’s assertion regarding reporting.

Taylor Decker, Dan Campbell, Jared Goff, Dallas Cowboys, and Detroit Lions
At AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday, December 30, 2023, after the Lions lost 20-19, quarterback Jared Goff of the Lions speaks with the referee about offensive tackle Taylor Decker’s 2-point conversion catch against the Cowboys being ruled illegal touching.
“Decker reported, but I’m not sure if I’ll be fined for it. Goff went on, “I know that Dan Skipper did not.

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It will be interesting to hear what the NFL has to say about the incident after reviewing it. Considering that it was a matchup between two of the best teams in the 2023–24 league, it will undoubtedly be a topic of discussion throughout the week.