THE REFS WERE RIGHT: NFL Releases Video EXPLAINING Taylor Decker ILLEGAL TOUCHING | Lions vs Cowboys

[@prairiemark4084]

Well this is a real head-scratcher. The NFL says the officiating crew didn't screw up so they punished them by making them ineligble for playoff duty. Go figure!

[@letskeepitreal2409]

It's not just for that play it was for all the other mistakes they made!

[@JustinKrux]

i think they have made that decision based on other mistakes they have made, but this wasnt one of them.

[@GulNadar]

@vrusimov did you know that the Cowboys coaches could have just ran the clock out and none of this would have mattered?

[@KingoftheSage]

@@GulNadar did you know that the Lions could have kicked the extra point and none of this would have mattered?

[@SHOWTYMEslimx]

@@KingoftheSage 😂 😂 😂

[@NickWitthaus]

Let's say you are correct. Why wasn't #68 flagged for illegal formation at the snap? He was the last person on the line of scrimmage on the left.

[@Redwhiteblue-gr5em]

At the snap he was legal if he stayed and blocked. But after the snap he ran a pass pattern in the end zone and caught the pass. Since he was officially an ineligible receiver that was the penalty.

[@NickWitthaus]

@@Redwhiteblue-gr5em No. The last people on both ends of the line of scrimmage at the snap must be eligible receivers. Since the refs claim that #68 was ineligible, his being the last person on the left side on the line of scrimmage makes that an illegal formation.

[@SHOWTYMEslimx]

@@NickWitthausthere was an illegal formation it just wasn’t called on the other side…if I’m not mistaken

[@NickWitthaus]

@vrusimov The flags were thrown after the catch. Illegal formation is called at the snap, not at the conclusion of the play. The only announced penalty was illegal touching. You hear multiple fouls on the same play announced all the time. "Offsides on #99, that penalty is declined. Roughing the passer on #99, that penalty is accepted." So, illegal formation was never called on that play.

[@dbig48d]

​@@NickWitthauslook back at the line up. St Brown was on the outside of 68. 68 then went unguarded to the end zone. The Ref called it correctly as illegal touching I don't know why the narrative came that 68 was checking in but from the NFL rules Detroit wasnt in the right line up. Even if he reported correctly it was a violation

[@strongcloud28]

The ref ignores #68 when he walks directly up to him 2:56. The refs botched this, they gave Dallas the wrong information and now they can't undo their mistake.

[@martinmunoz845]

😭😭😭

[@MrPetej00]

I agree, he ignores him. But 68 isn't giving any signal so the ref may think two players are approaching him to gripe about something which 90% of the time is tuned out by the ref. This is why you have to give the signal as well as verbal communication.

[@leeedwards8323]

68 didn't raise his hand or rub his chest.

[@strongcloud28]

# 70 gave the signal, but did not report to the official. #68 reported as an eligible receiver to the official but he did not give the signal. The Lions got a little too cute with the deception though. But according to the rules, Decker did report.

[@MrPetej00]

@@strongcloud28 what deception? You think they would hear the number 70 but not 68?

[@treborheminway3814]

Supposedly, the lions met with the refs before the gane started and discussed this exact play. The female sideline? Ref can be heard saying that it was 68 and word meeting. Not sure why the nfl would ban the crew if they were right all along.

[@jt_on_youtube]

Social pressure bc fans are dumb, and they clearly wont overturn a game, so they had to do "something" freaking cancel culture

[@metalmaniac1244]

They banned them for the bogus tripping penalty they called on Dallas plus there were several other mistakes the refs made during that game.

[@dwolfg]

NFL is the WWE with better PR. They are both, legally, sports entertainment companies.That is why the patriots went on their run right after 9/11, Jerome bettis winning the Superbowl in his own hometown, and now both the Dallas undefeated at home as well as the Stafford coming back to Detroit for the first home playoff game in 30 years storylines are intact. That is why the NFL welcomes us to the following PRESENTATION of the NFL, not game of the NFL.

[@navyvet8798]

They did not ban the refs lol, they called the ravens game the next week. That was all media BS. These refs were not punished at all

[@treborheminway3814]

@@navyvet8798 they announced a playoff ban. But who knows.

[@JewandGreek]

From watching this angle it looks like the Lions knew that the ref was telling the Cowboys that #70 was reporting and they just let it go hoping that they would get away with it. Obviously if they ran up to the ref and said *"NOOO! It's #68 not #70"* that would tip their hand, so they just said nothing hoping that no flag would be thrown. I hate to think that because it's cheating, but it sure looks that way.

[@dogger37JC]

Campbell claims he didn’t hear them announce who was eligible throughout the entire stadium yet the Cowboys coaches heard it on the field and in the booth. You would think considering how important it was that the referee got this right with the player that the Lions would have been playing close attention to that announcement.

[@GulNadar]

From the angle we still don't know anything that was said. Everything done at the line of scrimage was legal. Better sites explain every important players positioning and why they lined up how they did.

[@SHOWTYMEslimx]

@@GulNadar 😂 😂 even if everything they they did at the line was legal(I believe it wasn’t)…as soon as the ball snaps it’s not 😂

[@Stock1897]

Dean Blandino said in an interview that the stadium announcements can be difficult to hear on the field

[@GulNadar]

@@SHOWTYMEslimx What don't you understand? Skipper lines up in a three point stance at RT. (That's legal) Sewell lines up in the slot off the line in a two point stance and motions into the new RT spot, making Skipper a RG, which is legal. ASRB is properly on the line making Sewell's spot legal. Decker at LT was supposed to be called illegible. IF he was called illegible he could go out for a pass route. That's how it all works, 100% by the rules in the book. When people don't explain how each player matters to the formation, either they don't know or it's not explained on purpose.

[@12345682900]

So....if the Referee(s) did NOT botch all this, then WHY did the NFL impose the punishment they did?

[@Redwhiteblue-gr5em]

I think that’s just a rumor.

[@albertsandoval9494]

That crew will be in Baltimore for a crucial matchup between the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers.

[@rodneytrotter3725]

for the botched tripping call is what a few places are reporting. And one or two other clearly bad calls made during the game, not that one penalty.

[@bermchasin]

they still botched it

[@ZachHenke]

Probably just the culmination of their season, and not directly for this game. This was the same crew that did such a poor job at the end of the Packers vs Chiefs game.

[@clubf-fu8vz]

Fact is.. if Mike McCarthy could manage a clock, none of these scenarios would have even happened, period!! 🤔

[@shaun2318]

💯

[@TerpMansung]

He was being aggressive but yes could have avoided all this. I woulda ran the clock and kicked the fg.

[@SHOWTYMEslimx]

If my aunt had a penis she’d be my uncle…what’s your point what happened…happened…can’t have everything…but DAL can have that W…and they did

[@slapjones1959]

Yall kilked me Mike Mccarthy, the only coach in the nfl . Get criticism of clock management in a win. Have yall noticed that. The media don't talk about any other coach of bad clock management in a win, and I'm sure it's happening all the time. Stop being brainwashed because negative comments get more rating and click about the cowboys than positive comments.

[@SHOWTYMEslimx]

@@slapjones1959 exactly and this is being said at the same time a coach tried to technically cheat 😂 😂

[@RulebookRumble]

If the rule says that you have to do BOTH visual and verbal communication with the ref to complete the sign and skipper said he didn’t SAY anything then did he report?

[@nathanacreman7517]

at the same time if you don't see 68 signal did he report? It sounds like regardless it's the same penalty.

[@TheSmoke420TiresBbqGuns]

can you explain the holding in the inzone that resulted in a home run to lamb? apples and oranges

[@frankwise7464]

@@TheSmoke420TiresBbqGuns or the tripping penalty on the wrong team????? come on man. your coach got cute and got busted for it.

[@corythegoat2745]

​@TheSmoke420TiresBbqGuns can you explain the tripping that went against the wrong team?! Can you explain all the holds against Parsons alone?

[@corythegoat2745]

​@@frankwise7464lol how we both responded the same 😅

[@cmldallas2989]

At the 3 min mark in your video - it appears that Decker is signaling with his right hand against his chest that he is reporting as eligible on his way to talk to Brad Allen. It appears Decker correctly hand signaled and verbally confirmed his intentions to be eligible to Allen. Not sure what Skipper was trying to do since despite him appearing to signal to Allen (but not clear Allen saw him) he didn’t appear to verbally confirm with Allen that he was eligible.

[@TheRomans9Guy]

@vrusimovyou’re COMPLETELY wrong on this. An NFL team can totally attempt to set up their opponents using trickery as long as it falls within the bounds of the rules. Part of the Lions intent for this game as they indicated to the referees in their private pregame meeting (very normal) was that they were going to use 70 as an eligible player several times but would/might switch to 68 being eligible on a special play. So the Lions sent in 70 several times with the same, overt “I’m eligible” behavioral display to lull the Cowboys into a comfort zone. And then, on purpose for this special trick play, they took 3 actions. Action 1 they sent 2 offensive linemen to the referee to make it look like they were discussing something, not that one of them was reporting eligible. You can see the QB even tell them both to do this in the huddle right before hand. It’s obvious this is part of the plan. Then, second, 68 makes the chest motion one time as required and verbally tells the referee that he is reporting eligible, which the referee had zero business misunderstanding, he was three feet in front of the guy. And third, the Lions PRETENDED to send in 70 as an eligible player, making the hand motions and even “approaching the referee” but NOT saying that he was eligible verbally, because he was not actually reporting. All of 70’s actions were meant to be a misdirection to the Cowboys, and it likely would have worked, had the referee not botched this. Showing up to the pregame meeting would have helped. The NFL and this specific referee blew it for the Lions.

[@brianpotter2812]

@vrusimov I believe that Dan Cambell notified the refs pregame that they were going to use a trick play that would confuse the defense. Have multiple people go to the ref so they would be confused on who to cover. Dan Cambell in an interview after the game said he specifically laid out this "to a T" (his words). Since Skipper had reported a few times as eligible earlier in this game, the defense would assume (hopefully) that this would be the case again and be "tricked". To emphasize this, even the ref stated that Skipper reported as eligible then lined up as lineman so there wasn't a reason for him to report as an eligible receiver. He's lined up as the right-most lineman in this play and neve rmoves. He's not "covered up" he's a lineman. Decker is offset from the ball on the left side (1 lineman left of center, 3 linemen to the right, and Decker is lined up as a TE).

[@danielwasinski2508]

Skipper was singalling Jumbo 12 package i beleive he said. Changinging eligibilaty is far from the only thing had signals are used for.

[@mikes3703]

These assholes are just regurgitating the leagues usual nonsense to keep their jobs. This league is messed up.

[@northie1957]

Let's assume that the Official Got it wrong and reported number 70 as eligible instead of 68 Why didn't the Detroit coachs Didn't stop the play and corrected that number 68 is eligible and reported and why would 68 Line up illegally as a eligible Eligible receiver ? The truth of the matter is Detroit Try to confuse the Cowboys and the officials and they got caught doing it so they screwed themselves for trying to deceive the refs Detroit coach Campbell is bullheaded Very aggressive he is the one To blame for the loss And if the refs did not penalize Dallas Fort tripping roundfully two plays earlier it would have never got to this point game would have been over.. We Also the play when they called Trippin and Dallas which it should have been tripping on Detroit

[@samforsyth]

also, more than one player can report... why would the ref totally ignore the player in his face saying "reporting" even if he THOUGHT 70 was reporting(which he wasnt)??

[@truantmale]

maybe cuz he never fucking reported??? its a common deception play, we ran this shit in college multiple times a week

[@DaveWootenWasHere]

@@truantmale according to this video he did

[@retiefgregorovich810]

@@DaveWootenWasHere According to the video, 68 never gave a hand signal as required, and 70 never talked to the ref, so technically, no one reported.

[@samforsyth]

@@truantmale So what you think happened was that 68 left the huddle, then stood face to face with the ref, and did not report, and then intended to receive the ball anyway?

[@samforsyth]

@@retiefgregorovich810 at like 4:08 mark, when 70 has a yellow circle around him... you can see 68 approaching the ref, swiping his jersey, and then coming face to face with the ref.

[@marcnasir5651]

If You were right... DONT U THINK THE NFL WOULD HAVE THEIR BACK ... INSTEAD... of Suspending those Refs from the Playoffs..???

[@dogger37JC]

It’s cumulative over the season of bad games. This crew have been talked about all season for messing up games. Between this mess and the tripping penalty it probably push them over the edge.

[@dc521977]

Doesn't matter if it was right or wrong. The league screwed up by wasting time. Now the we've investigated ourselves and found ourselves innocent trope and you've got a big mess. Releasing the audio would clear a lot up.

[@SHOWTYMEslimx]

Do you really want these guys officiating the most important games of the season??

[@willjackson4354]

Why do people keep thinking that one call got them suspended?

[@dogger37JC]

@@willjackson4354 Especially with this crew. They have had quite a season of making the NFL look bad.

[@sethskullsberg7787]

This is stupid. What about 68 being in the refs face saying he's reporting verbally. The ref assumed and didn't stop to figure it out. He acted like the clock was running and ran away

[@davidc2838]

Nonsenes. 68 clearly didn't get the call. The announcement was made. Lions should have called that when 70 was announced. DONE.

[@sethskullsberg7787]

@davidc2838 Yes, when they announced it, 68 should have jumped up and down and said, " NO REF THEY ARE THROWING IT TO ME NOT 70." Ref was lazy and wasn't paying attention plain and simple

[@benjeminecarpenter2894]

​@sethskullsberg7787 if the lions hear the wrong number called and continue with the play, then they intentionally ran an illegal play by passing to a person who wasn't acknowledged as eligible. It didn't have to be #68 to stand up and say something. Any player could have said something though Goff is the leader so it's ultimately his job. I'd say the Lions got lazy and careless. They knew the wrong number was called and ran with the play anyway. The ref may have made a mistake but the lions decided to try and run an illegal play and it cost them. They had a chance to tie it up twice but gambled and lost

[@scout13fox]

68 admitted he only said one word, one time and did and said NOTHING else, just "Report" that's all.

[@oddessy2g]

You need to watch this video with sound on. Lol

[@andrewmullins2040]

What a joke, Lions got screwed there and so many other times. The NFL has no real integrity and the officials are horrible, despite the fact that they have more tools than ever before to go back and double check things and avoid literally giving the game to another team in the last seconds of a game.

[@faithdriven11]

Wrong. You report eligible by verbal communication.

[@mloney9772]

It wasn’t on accident. It was orchestrated. All three lineman meeting with the ref at the same time was on purpose they had been setting it up with 70 all game. It was also intentional to send 68 and 58 up there. It was creative but as it turned out too creative.

[@inmycomfychair]

Yes, not many people caught on that sending both of your tackles who happen to be 58 and 68 could potentially cause confusion also.

[@connorgillispie7128]

What was the purpose of sending them up there though?

[@mloney9772]

@@connorgillispie7128 to confuse the defense presumably. They are like to think it’s 70, but if the official tells the defense that it is 68 they may hear or think 58. The whole setup was very clever and designed to get 68 open on the short side corner of the end zone.

[@connorgillispie7128]

@@mloney9772 seems like it backfired

[@MarkLeBay]

Having two or three players stand in front of the Referee while one reports “eligible” is not complicated. It’s not a ruse to hide who is reporting until the Referee announces it. It’s like a coach covering his mouth while calling a play. What *_was_* super confusing and complicated on that play was the Lions’ formation. Should we also blame the Lions and not the Refs for a complicated formation?

[@mikestevens7060]

Skipper was trying to get the Cowboys to see him report but not have the ref see. Decker was trying to get the ref to see him report but not the Cowboys. Just a little too much trickeration.

[@keyshawnjohn]

In a nut shell!

[@melindaalvarez263]

Except the ref already saw him signal in as eligible

[@chazm3]

@@melindaalvarez263 actually I think number 70 put his arms down as soon as the ref turned to look at him! THAT was the big plan. Look at the video carefully when that white hat is pointed at 70 and it’s not and where 70’s arms are.

[@jamiehausen]

They tricked themselves

[@melindaalvarez263]

@@chazm3 But the ref already saw him declaring himself eligible

[@markalman649]

The flexed arm Skipper is motioning is not intended for the referee. His gesture is intended as a communication to his teammates to acknowledge that we are shifting into a "heavy" or "strong" formation. Skipper's hand signal lets his teammates know who he is being subbed in for. Notice how the same hand signal was used by Skipper in both of your examples and how Kalif simultaneously removes himself from the huddle in both examples.

[@markalman649]

From 3:15 to 3:32 watch as Decker walks toward Allen, while Allen is looking at him. Look at what 68 does with his right arm as he walks toward the ref. Would you agree his raised right arm that is touching his jersey number is signaling to the ref that he is "hot"?

[@charlesrexford2598]

​@@markalman649 I don't know he could have brushed his hair and got some of black stuff off his face. 😮

[@chaps1444]

I was at the game , all the announcer said over the sound system was that number 70 was an eligible receiver.....

[@dogger37JC]

And some people are saying that was added to the Spanish broadcast and radio broadcast 😂😂😂😂

[@NickWitthaus]

No one is debating that. The ref screwed up who reported as eligible. The ref assumed it was #70 again, when #70 never verbalized he was eligible on the play.

[@chaps1444]

@@NickWitthaus He did though! he was rubbing his chest and had his hand up in the air like he had done in previous plays, where he placed himself eligible!

[@NickWitthaus]

@@chaps1444 Verbalized means saying something by voice to the ref which is the second part of the requirements to be eligible. You cannot make yourself eligible by hand signal alone.

[@chaps1444]

@@NickWitthaus Agree to disagree! The referee didn't screw up, the lions screwed up , Lions were trying to pull a slick one on the cowboys and it didn't work!

[@tbexecutioner5392]

They were so right they dubbed the stadium announcement over the Telemundo broadcast but forgot to do the English broadcast 😅😅

[@JeffreyDennis-p1e]

The visual indicators were for the receiver to exit the formation flexing an arm to indicate strong or heavy not a swipe of the jersey to indicate eligibility, every other time he reported he spoke to the referee

[@gregorybeemer428]

Came here to say this. This KZbinr has no idea what they are talking about. Dan Skipper does the "eligible" motion down his torso WITH BOTH HANDS when he is standing directly in front of the white cap ref..... per...rule!

[@derd3]

Why did he go over and talk to the ref at all? He was the last person to speak to the ref.

[@gregorybeemer428]

@derd3 The play was designed to send all potential lineman to the ref so the Dallas D couldn't tell who was reporting. He approached, but he certainly didn't get close enough to the ref to communicate reporting. Yes the ref goes to the Dallas D to say who reported, but it's up to the Dallas D at that point to communicate it properly to all of their 11 personnel which could lead to confusion on who covers who. Since Dallas had just taken a time out prior to this play, they couldn't take another one to sort out their potential confusion without taking a penalty. (Can't call back to back time outs. It's a delay of game penalty) So the Lions were hoping to catch the Dallas D in a poor communication scenario..... which they did. However, that was because the ref communicated the wrong eligible lineman to them. The ref fucked this up.

[@charlesrexford2598]

​@@gregorybeemer428 I say, no, sir, that horse moved and I will kick it.

[@gregorybeemer428]

@@charlesrexford2598..... what?

[@brentm9848]

You can literally see Decker rubbing his chest in the video, and you say it has to be BOTH verbal and signed… only Decker does both. Also, you’re wrong about the formation being illegal. It’s fine.

[@DonovanFlamingusIII]

The formation is illegal if Skipper is designated eligible, which he was. It came over the loudspeakers. Also Decker literally didn’t, unless he was wearing Dan Skippers jersey. The Lions fell into their own honeypot.

[@GulNadar]

@@DonovanFlamingusIII if Skipper goes out for a pass he is illegal. By alignment he starts at RT, THEN Sewell who was ligned up in the slot in a two point stance, motions onto the line in a three point stance which he's legally able to do. How do you think jumbo formations work?! They have been around forever.

[@DonovanFlamingusIII]

@@GulNadar yes, but the problem is Dan Skipper was designated eligible pre snap, then gets covered up by Sewell, which then makes him ineligible. Decker, as far as the refs were concerned, was never listed as eligible. I’m aware of how jumbo packages work, but the order of events is the problem here.

[@heyniles]

Says Decker doesn't signal eligible by rubbing his stomach while paused on a frame of Decker signaling eligible by rubbing his stomach....

[@nealmccoy5727]

Yeah idiot, but Skipper did the same thing and he did it before Decker did. Once you report as eligible, you cannot change to another eligible guy. That is considered deception and is in the rulebook.

[@joesmith1574]

It doesn’t matter now, the Lions are still in it after their win over the LA Rams on Sunday, and the Dallas Cowboys are out. The Lions are playing the Buccaneers this Sunday, it’s time to move on.

[@ZaCHwII7]

where can i see the original video

[@nonpoc6917]

And why did it take over 30 seconds to throw the flags?

[@basicschertzo420]

Lions tried confusing the defense but instead confused the refs. With a confusing call comes a lot of talking which is why they huddled up. This is not the first time they make a call after 30 seconds of play

[@JP-sm1dc]

what does that matter. You could never of been rewarded points for a hypothetical we would of scored even if the Cowboys where told the correct information. What kind of logic do you use in Detroit?

[@nonpoc6917]

@@JP-sm1dc so hypothetically Dallas might have scored

[@keithjones2466]

phantom tripping and no holds drawn for micah lol

[@GulNadar]

Counter, no holds for Hutchenson, and the Cowboys could have run out the clock after reguardless of the tripping. Cowboys coaches had garbage clock management.

[@SHOWTYMEslimx]

@@GulNadarcool…..disregard the tripping….and let’s disregard the illegal touching controversy ….DEAL!!!….lions have to eat the L….lets move on

[@GulNadar]

@@SHOWTYMEslimx Thank you for ignoring the part where none of this would have happened IF the Cowboys run the clock out?! That last sentence is important.

[@SHOWTYMEslimx]

@@GulNadar “IF” my sister had a penis she would be my brother…I left it out because bad clock management is not illegal (it’s a problem..yes)….but are you really gonna scolded a coach going by the books to the best of his abilities vs a coach that tried to technically cheat just to win a game that’s not even really that important in grand scheme of the thing when it comes to the LIONS season????

[@Aries_Aria]

Lets disregard the whole holding on Dallas on the Lamb 92 yd TD? @@GulNadar

[@superturf3060]

There’s a angle of video where decker is doing the signal. Go through the tapes before you just release something. Decker does to do it actually exactly when you freeze frame apparently skipper doing it.. watch back through the tapes

[@billcollins2798]

Exactly. I wonder why the presenter didn't provide the best angle which shows Decker clearly communicating with the ref. The ref looks right at him and nods before running over to the Cowboys.

[@alanwright7819]

Maybe you should have recorded the training video that was sent out to all teams with the memo because your video described the process a LOT more clearly than the official NFL video.

[@ricklinehan7176]

There is an inherit problem with everyone's analysis on this play. It's clear that Penei Sewell #58 and Taylor Decker #68 are going to talk to the Ref as the two original tackles. It's also likely to be a discussion about who will be eligible on this play and to make it clear that it's one of them for the first time in the game. There is no other possible reason for them both going up to talk to the Ref at the same time. Dan Skipper #70 clearly never had words with the Ref to verbally commit to being eligible so there is no way to override the more likely direct conversation. There is no other way that Penei Sewell, one of the Offense Captains, starts the play covering Skipper before he motions down to cover him in a clear off-balanced line formation. Note the positions of the other two receivers on that side of the line which clearly show that Penei was clearly not eligible either. No lineman dreaming of an eligiable catch is going to let three people cover him when he's declared eligible. There is no way that Jarod Goff, as the other Offense Captain, throws the ball to Decker if he isn't the eligible receiver when it was clear he directed Decker to have the conversation with the Ref in the first place. The Ref blew it and got confused by the previous work to setup this play. The NFL is simply trying to cover this up with this "informational" film to help cover their mistake and prevent similar problems in the future. The Lions' mistake is that they didn't stop the play after the announcement, but how do you do that without being penalized by the play clock counting down??? Hmm, interesting to note that this "important training film" doesn't mention how the team should react with the Ref mistakenly announces the wrong eligible receiver. Do you honestly think this Ref is going to restart the play clock for his mistake??? Where is the explaination of how to handle the improper announcement. Does the offense loose a timeout, have to throw a challenge flag???

[@JP-sm1dc]

Again you're missing the point of the rule. Its primary purpose is to clearly inform the defense about eligible receivers. The only grey area allowed is if the defense overlooks jersey numbers. The referee's job is to identify the eligible receiver to the defense. If this isn't done correctly, the play is, by all means, invalid. This stands true irrespective of whether the Lions indicated their eligible receiver accurately or not. NFL rules don't support awarding points based on a play that resulted from misinforming the opposition. If the Cowboys weren't correctly informed about the eligible receiver, then the play stands invalid. The essence here is fairness and crystal-clear communication. The rules aren't designed to fix scenarios based on what might have happened under proper officiating. So, even if the Lions did everything by the book, points can't be awarded on hypothetical outcomes. The game's integrity and strict rule adherence outweigh any need to rectify officiating mistakes. As for referee interference scenarios: Referee Interfering with a Player in Motion Scenario: A player, moving pre-snap, accidentally collides with a referee, disrupting the play. Outcome: The play is immediately halted. It's replayed with the clock reset to the pre-disruption time. Referee Distracting a Player Scenario: A referee inadvertently causes a distraction to a player, such as a receiver or quarterback, just before the snap. Outcome: If this distraction significantly impacts the play, it's stopped, and the down is reset.

[@demoman1596sh]

@@JP-sm1dc I'm afraid no one is actually missing the point except for yourself. If the referee had correctly acknowledged #68 as reporting (which is what actually took place on the field in real life) and then made it clear to the Cowboys defense that #68 reported, then everything is fine according to the "primary purpose" of the rule you cite. Literally nobody is arguing that the referee shouldn't correctly communicate eligible receivers to the defense (obviously they have to do that by rule anyway). Regardless, it's still more likely than not that the two-point conversion play would have succeeded, as has happened numerous times with these linemen in the past, though obviously we can't know for sure what would've happened in that scenario since the referee got the damn thing wrong. The rules ought to be designed to unobtrusively fix scenarios that the referees get wrong. Period. The game's integrity is damaged by these kinds of officiating mistakes.

[@JP-sm1dc]

Refs absolutely are terrible and dictate games. You’re only arguing over 5 yards because the Cowboys should not be punished for a rule that’s only there for the defense to be made aware of who is eligible. The defense was told the wrong thing and the score was only completed because of this fact. You can’t give points for a hypothetical situation where the defense was told the correct information and you still score. How would that be okay that would be so much worse than what happened. Cowboys had no fault in any of this. Refs were probably 95% wrong and Lions 5%. Cowboys where 0% also truly you should have just kicked the extra point at that time. The refs would have given you the game. They hate the Cowboys more than any team. Jerry tried to take Goodells job he failed 2-3 times and Goodell has just blatantly targeted us. We are always most penalized and rarely receive plays in our favor. The timing of the calls is the worst. It usually negates a 30 yard play or worse we get the fewest holding calls that go our way. But we commit the most. It’s because holding is the easiest for them to manipulate and gives the refs the most leverage to dictate a game. Parsons is literally beat hugged from behind and they won’t call it. It is seriously insane it makes me want to quit football because it’s shady

[@JP-sm1dc]

@@demoman1596sh it is. It more likely then not is my point the Cowboys have had 5 attempts for 2 point conversions against them this year 0 have succeeded the lions are 50% for 2 point conversions converted this year how can you assume. You can’t award points on a hypothetical. I have said countless times I wish they would have not penalized your team and just did a redo on downs. You will not find a cowboys fan that doesn’t want Roger Goodell gone. We all want AI to do the reffing we don’t trust or like the refs either. We are always most penalized team and these calls never go our way. This is why you are getting so many ppl defending it is because we are always getting screwed and this wasn’t the refs trying to help us. The 5 yard penalty was probably more to do with they don’t admit fault. Plus bro yall should have just kicked it and ran into overtime. Seriously coach needs some blame in that loss it’s weird you think you should be handed points that would’ve cheated the Cowboys. I don’t ride with cheating ever. But this wasn’t that

[@demoman1596sh]

@@JP-sm1dc I don't really think anybody is saying that you can award points based on a hypothetical. Here again, you seem a little bit to be confusing what you imagine people think with what they actually think, though I think I understand why. What I'm saying is that the referee made a mistake that he shouldn't have made and that there should be a way to fix it, preferably *before* any plays are ever run in the future so that your concern about points being "based on a hypothetical" doesn't actually arise in the first place.

[@joeltice4161]

I have a couple of questions regarding your video. I apologize if these questions have already been asked. The official was walking away before #70 even had a chance to talk to him, however it is stated that the player must visually and verbally report to the official. Therefore, according to that neither of the players correctly reported. Also, is it an illegal formation if the official called the correct number?

[@matthewftbailey]

It WOULD be an illegal formation IF 70 had reported. If 68 had reported, it would be a LEGAL formation. The Lions send 68 over to the ref, lined him up as eligible, and threw him the ball. 70 did not talk to the ref, did not line up as eligible, and did not go out for a pass. The idea that it's "also" an illegal formation in addition to illegal touching is really a moot point. If 68 is eligible, it's NEITHER illegal touching nor illegal formation. If 70 is eligible, it's both.

[@slimsh8073]

The ref literally said 70 reported lol

[@matthewftbailey]

@@slimsh8073 The ref made a mistake and reported the wrong player, that's the whole point lol

[@navyvet8798]

@@matthewftbailey NO he didn't, watch the dang video. He raises his hand, rubs his number like every time he reported during the game and he runs straight to the ref to report. Just watch the video. Good grief. Its right there on video to see

[@adamtkosi]

3:23 of your video Decker is swiping his jersey. The arm up in the air is a teammate substitution signal. Skipper never swipes his jersey. Oh, and Skipper checked in eligible exactly ONE TIME during the game according to TJ Lang.

[@RFM-CDA]

It's unf'nbelievable that no one is talking about how a tripping call is enforced against the wrong team? That call changed the whole final 2 minutes of the game!

[@snicka8173]

They are too busy hating on the Cowboys at all cost!

[@truantmale]

if that penatly was called on the right team this controversy literally wouldnt even exist, thats why. everybody needs a reason to hate the cowboys

[@RFM-CDA]

@@truantmale That's 100% correct. It's just hard to fathom all of these so called experts on national shows, INCLUDING FORMER PLAYERS, that don't even mention it. Admittedly, I do not watch much from any one of these shows, but one would just think that something so unthinkable being called in a game would be talked about a little lol. The only one I've heard talk about it is Adam Schefter! Is he the only one providing NFL news to the public reputable?

[@mojoschmee9320]

Too busy insinuating that Jerry Jones paid off the refs to actually acknowledge where the real mistake was made...

[@joeyrufo]

Hey! My position isn't that there was a conspiracy! My position is that the refs were screwing up the whole game, which itself is unacceptable no matter who you are! So your point about the tripping call is more evidence for MY position! Thanks! Also, yes, people are talking about that call! But do you blame them for not talking about it was much? Do you not see how the ineligible touch call might be seen by many as a bigger screw up? If not, then maybe you're the one who's not being "objective" here!

[@modjohnny]

The move you're referring to at 3:00 was actually a different signal to the team "12 Jumbo" as explained by Skipper to reporters. This "training video" the NFL put out is for damage control and makes no logical sense. First off there is clearer and closer footage of Decker rubbing his chest. This is all just damage control. Also, Where is the NFL films footage? These games are so documented. The League is scared of having egg on it's face so they aren't releasing all the footage.

[@Snakebliskin]

The Lions are 0 and 6 when Brad Allen has a whistle in his pie-hole and on the same field. Brady knew what he was doing.

[@SHOWTYMEslimx]

Bruh watch the damn video and take your feelings out of it…we all got a chance to learn something very important in the game of football and you selfishly ignored it…and accused the ref of cheating…when the whole time if anyone tried to “cheat” it was the lions… 😂

[@nickc8819]

dude, the refs made the right call, let it be.

[@WeeferKeef]

@@SHOWTYMEslimx Because I say so !!!!

[@SHOWTYMEslimx]

@@WeeferKeef 😂 😂

[@bermchasin]

the refs objectively did NOT make the right call. Either, neither 68 nor 70 properly reported eligible or the refs messed up the number when 68 reported. Regardless, 70 did not properly report and should not have been announced.@@nickc8819

[@braingauser2344]

Penei Sewell is covered by a receiver, so he is lined up legally. Which formation rule do you think he is violating?

[@guy0116]

My biggest problem with how the ref acted is, why is he so quick to run away from the players who are clearly trying to communicate something to him. Like how was decker supposed to report when the ref runs away the sec he gets close to him? Just take your time, get it right

[@leeedwards8323]

Did you not listen to what the dude said from the NFL office? #70 did it correct when coming onto the field. He held his left arm up and put his right hand to his chest. Walking up to the ref and saying this is not the correct way.

[@Fabiaan9898]

Like he’s not trying to communicate with his teammates ?

[@deinonkel123]

No time Outs and the Play Clock is running. He has to communicate the eligible Players to the defense. The Lions really shot themselves in the foot. Only sore losers blame the refs. Also, I bet my left testicle that Dak would have brought the Cowboys at least in Range for a 60 yarder in 23 Seconds

[@thomaswatkins3686]

What on earth are you talking about? Decker literally stood right in front of the ref and still didn’t signal. What is so hard about admitting you’re wrong? Let it go. The Lions tried to pull a fast one and failed

[@georgeyarbrough88]

​@@thomaswatkins3686what's hilarious you just heard how they are supposed to notify the ref that they are eligible. The coach use excuse it was loud in the stadium. This is why they have the hand signals. You people are just utterly stuck on stupid. There's a way to do things and they didn't do it

[@luniz4209]

I like how your thumbnail shows 2 players, neither which are #70.

[@scotttutt2443]

Not correct at all. This is a play and as you said the ref didn't even see him the first time when he never did do your sign when he actually got his attention. How would they know they got it wrong until after the play. He didn't even line up as an eligible player and the head coach did go over this play to the refs before the game. Check it

[@BrooklynPhenixRising]

As a Cowboys fan there is no sensible conversation you can have with a Cowboys hater when it comes to refs call. Despite the Cowboys far and Away being the MOST penalized team in the NFL people still think Jerry is paying refs. Despite the fact Micah Parsons hasn't gotten a holding call in over 40+ quarters somehow Jerry is paying the refs. Hell I wish he was paying the refs so that we could have had at least 2 more SB's by now... But I say all that to say this seeing an objective take on anything Cowboys by a non-fan is refreshing... Thank you for this.

[@St.Michael6]

Wow, are people this stupid? Skipper reporting as eligible the whole game is part of the trick play. Deckker walked up to the ref to report as Skipper came in was to throw Dallas off. Also, if Deckker wasnt eligible as soon as the ball was snapped a flag shouldve been thrown for illegal formation, it took 30 seconds after the conversation. Maybe if people actually played football instead of sitting on the couch you would know the rules and how plays and trick plays work 😂😂

[@turnerxrashawn]

Exactly 🎯

[@WeeferKeef]

Yes!!

[@seanrichmond6714]

Trick play or not an illegal formation is an illegal formation. An illegal touch is an illegal touchdown

[@MrTerminator73]

Facts

[@tomurbina]

the whole world heard 70 as eligible !! why didn’t the Lions corrected it?

[@brettmcleod6026]

It still falls on the official. So if Skipper did that and Decker told him that he was eligible wouldn't you think that the referee would say to Decker "wait a minute are you reporting as eligible or is Skipper because he is giving me the signal"

[@melindaalvarez263]

Decker was not giving a signal he is reporting as eligible

[@swdetroitsfinest4628]

No cause 2 can report as eligible so both skipper and decker could had been Eligible

[@melindaalvarez263]

@@Drumbsticks That's why I don't know why they were trying to use deception when the ref has to alert the defense the eligible receiver.

[@melindaalvarez263]

@@Drumbsticks There's actually another foul on the play as well. Even though #70 is eligible he lined up ineligible and was covered by #58.

[@davidschaffer4921]

@@melindaalvarez263 58 who tried to act like he was eligible.

[@clarkst1]

At exactly 4:09 of your video 68 is rubbing his belly too.

[@daviddavila6602]

It's a botched call. Every expert said Brad Allen screwed up. Ex professional players and coaches. What are your credentials?

[@mickpratt8327]

Officials did such an outstanding job that the NFL broke them up.

[@betogonzalez4310]

The nfl in New York told them what they did wrong that’s why the late flags came

[@kencrittenden29]

😂

[@IslandDark]

call cover your A**

[@mcclennonmiller2494]

@mickpratt8327 - The man just showed and explained to you what happened and you still refused to see or except it. Well why don't you try this: The Lions ((LOST THE GAME)) because their coach tried to use some trickery and it backfired on him. Now deal with it and move on.

[@antediluvian_seance]

Officials literally called tripping on the wrong team; that's why this crew is out of the playoffs. That's why Detroit got the ball back at all.

[@keithjones2466]

where you at now rex ryan and all the liars in the nfl media?

[@AL-rf2fr]

All these NfL media people pushing this false narrative where have I seen this before. Oh yeah it’s rampant in the political media

[@wristocrat]

2:53 you can actually see decker touch his belly and try to mumble something to the ref. Meanwhile, 70 is mostly out of sight for the ref and doing the big song and dance in view of the defense. However as you pointed out, the ref saw this grand gesture in his periphery and ignored 68 because he was being too subtle.

[@davidschaffer4921]

As a Cowboys fan, I did see the very small single swipe happen at the same time as 70 was signaling. Neither 58 or 68 made it to the ref before he started heading to the defense. Then in another attempt of trickery, they had 58 stand up as if he was the receiver. Heck, with what the Lions did the official could have easily reported 58 as eligible. But in an audio recording on both the Spanish broadcast and radio broadcast you could hear the ref say 70 was an eligible receiver. The bottom line is the Lions did screw themselves up and had the official announced 68 and not 70, then the Cowboys may have had him covered and not left to run free.

[@diamonddave7555]

Besides, Decker was uncovered and eligible. It WAS a planned play period.

[@kencrittenden29]

Exactly

[@kabob21]

Too bad he didn’t report correctly and consequently wasn’t declared eligible.

[@diamonddave7555]

@@kabob21 yea, the Ref walked away during the conversation...watch the replay...they were still talking as to he ref walked away...no, the ref DID NOT Announce ANY eligible receiver, the ref failed to acknowledge ANY eligible receiver...PERIOD Ref failed the communication. Simple n end of story...

[@DOTA2POE]

@@diamonddave7555 The ref clearly announced an eligible receiver not only on the mic but to the defense as per is the rule. Simple n end of story you are wrong... :)

[@swdetroitsfinest4628]

​@@kabob21ohh so a verbal check in which is most preferred don't count huh😂you cowgirls are something else you won't be in the playoff picture long your refs won't be there to help you 😂

[@bestfromtheeast]

Even tho u did say that u don't like the cowboys I respect ur honesty & yeah im be very biased 😂😂😂 im gonna like & sub bro good video

[@michaeldurkin8659]

Thank you for your honesty. I have been preaching this for two days now and you would not believe the flaming that I got. Well, you probably would, this is the internet after all. I get that people don't want it to be true, but if you don't have integrity, what do you have?

[@johnhealey6455]

Deception has its place in football, but not in a situation like this. The rules already tilt pretty heavily in favor of the offense; the defense should at least clearly know who is eligible to catch a pass. The Cowboys likely would have defended the play differently if they had known #68 was eligible.

[@DutchG]

Because the NFL makes rules ask they go long because they think they can bullshit the people my opinion

[@brucegelman5582]

#70 effed up.Take responsibility Dan.

[@davidsark1543]

Deception occurs on almost every play. Defenses as well as offenses try to deceive. Do you really think every Cowboy heard the announcement and focused on 70 being eligible? Do these type of plays work regularly? Yes, they certainly do.

[@Macattack11639]

It was a great play call using deception. Without deception, the play doesn’t work. There has been tons of these plays in the past. The ref messed up and can’t admit it!

[@xwr3ksh0px]

@@Macattack11639that’s why the formation is illegal, to try and eliminate deception because that would be cheating

[@SCHROCK28]

By their own explanation it proves the ref was wrong. Skipper didn’t do what they said is needed to be recognized as eligible. He made skipper eligible with no actual reporting.

[@Ugly_Tsarevich]

Si if the ref made the mistake and they notice only 70 was reported as eligible. Why wouldn’t they correct the ref? They let the play run with that awful mistake. It’s their fault.

[@michaelmichaelagnew8503]

#70 was the only one that gave the hand sign which the rules state must happen. The other two did even bother doing that. The ref made the right decision. Number 68 and 58 went up their like idiots not knowing what they were supposed to do. Thats not the refs fault thats the Lions fault.

[@stephenmartin8331]

You do realize that when you pause video and circle 70 making his hand sign for eligible that 68 is making the same number swipe signaling eligible. Noticing the referee isn't looking, 68 walks over and confirms verbally that he is eligible. Bad referee.

[@jlit259]

So if you have to do both, on that 2PT play, #70 gave the visual indication but never the verbal so why was he reported as an eligible receiver? It appears like neither one did both.

[@soonerdad3]

Decker had a conversation with the official who he standing right in front of, what do you think the conversation was about if he wasn't reporting?

[@navyvet8798]

&0 went straight to the ref lol what do you think he was saying to him? He reported just like he had done all game long

[@thomasrotondi]

Decker touched his Jersey

[@treyriver5676]

Hand up ?

[@dogger37JC]

So did Skipper

[@NickWitthaus]

@@dogger37JC What exact words did Skipper say to the ref on that play?

[@dogger37JC]

@@NickWitthaus Probably nothing. But we don’t know. Same as Decker. He may have said he’s reporting but it might have been as quick and discreet as how he touched his chest. They tried so hard to be deceptive and it backfired.

[@ragingpotato]

Everyone keeps harping on the point of Dan explaining the play before the game, but what nobody gets is explaining the play means nothing if he didn't also explain that they were going to send two extra linemen up at the same time when 68 was reporting to try and trick the defense. The fact that Campbell hasn't said he told the refs that part of the plan speaks volumes. He only says he told them 68 would be the eligible receiver, and gave them the play drawn up on a piece of paper.

[@grandthemes5972]

Everybody does it.

[@RuiNDieM1988]

It seems weird to me that coaches are discussing plays with refs in the first place

[@lcarp545]

Even worse is that when Dan explains the play in his Monday conference, he actually says it wrong by saying he was hoping the Cowboys didn't hear the #70. If you can't explain your own play, how is someone else going to? The Lions and their fans have made this much to do about nothing.

[@dmckenna05]

I mean it's absurd to expect a referee to remember the nuances of that one play you told them about right before the game. This is all on Taylor Decker, period.

[@ragingpotato]

@@RuiNDieM1988 that is actually typical. Officials meet with coaches before the game specifically to make sure they are aware of any "trick plays" and ensure they are legal.

[@eweezy55]

The problem with your analysis is Decker said he "told" the ref report, and in the replay aftermath you can read Skipper's lips saying "I didn't say a F'in thing" So visually by design it's suppose to look like Skipper is reporting but verbally the ref was "told" by Decker. This is why the ref was essentially fooled because he was paying attention to Skipper running on the field and probably didn't hear Decker. Coach Campbell said in the press conference 2 players can't report so it according to their plan it shouldn't have mattered if Skipper is visually trying to reporting based off his previous times because Decker already reported verbally. So no the Brad Allen wasn't right he got fooled but he should have known better since they went over it pregame. Hence the discipline from the league.

[@all_22_films]

100%.

[@scout13fox]

Decker said he only said one word, one time, "Report" that's it. He didn't ensure he communicated with the Allen. Notice earlier when Skipper hunted down Allen to make sure he knew he wanted to report. Decker should've made it clear.

[@eweezy55]

He literally walked up to the ref and said report how can you be more clear than that. Lol.

[@samforsyth]

at the 4:09 mark you have 70 circled to show he's got his hand on his jersey... but he's like 30 yards away from the ref... at this SAME EXACT MOMENT look what 68 is doing... he's walking directly toward the ref, rubbing his jersey, and THEN gets right in front of the ref and says "reporting" and touches his jersey again... Whereas, 70 never arrives to speak to the ref, before the ref walks away. Take a look! 68 did both things required (according to this video) and 70 only rubbed his jersey, but he was so far away there was no reason to even think the ref saw him. THEN after all that, the ref saw 70 line up as a tackle and didn't think anything of it... beside getting in a ref's face, rubbing your jersey and saying "reporting" ... what is a player supposed to do? why was that ref running away as 68 was trying to communicate with him? No clock was running... no need to hurry.... the ref simply ASSUMED 70 would report and somehow ignored the player right in his face.

[@erikdlt]

Where can we get this video uninterrupted?

[@jasonwallington2121]

Skipper was waving at Kalif Raymond for substitution who exited the field. At the exact time :22 (while Skipper is yellow circled) on film #68 Decker makes the two hand jersey wipe gesture to Brad Allen and moves on to verbally confirm that he is tackle-eligible. Do you think Skipper left on the sideline without the coaching staff confirming what his assignment is?

[@bswann28]

Why would the lions choose that method to signal a player to come out of the game knowing it’s an ineligible player reporting eligible to the ref .. rubbing the numbers tells which player to sub ? Do wide receivers do that with each other? Detroit wanted confusion and they got it congratulations !

[@willfitz777]

I don't understand why the NFL always tries to cover for the refs blatant mistakes, how many new rules have been made because of bad calls against Detroit. Calvin Johnson rule and now this must report to two officials.

[@willfitz777]

Yeah wrong again now they have to report to the side judge and then the head ref@@Drumbsticks

[@willfitz777]

If the refs were right why did they change the rule, now you have to report to the side judge on your way to reporting to the lead official only one reason they F'ed up.

[@willfitz777]

Zero chance the Lions were confused they gave it to the refs before the game in writing.

[@thesingledadsclub7594]

Dude skipper looks like he's snapping his chinstrap on his helmet as he's running on the field. Skupper only had 2 snap counts in the game, not multiple snap counts as Brad Allen claims. The example in the beginning with Dan Skipper reporting as eligible in a jumbo set, and running in as deception on the 2pt conversion debauchery. Decker is right in front of the ref. The ref is clearly not stopping to pay attention to who is actually reporting when he KNOWS that that trick play is probably being used as this was discussed, and drawn up for Brad Allen pregame by MCDC. The ONLY way to put this to rest is to play the audio and have an opposite angle of the exchange between Decker and Allen. This gaslighting is absolutely ridiculous

[@thesingledadsclub7594]

@vrusimov First, Allen's crew were at the meeting, not Allen. Anything in the meeting should be reported to the head ref (Allen) by crew members. That's besides the point. MCDC took Allen personally aside and explained, drew out and had shown the trick play that they had in their back pocket for possibilities as these. An "expert" ref DID say that two people CAN report on one of the sports network. MCDC was told two people cannot. However I do not know the rule. It IS the responsibility of the ref to get the proper number for eligibility, however, there's procedures that need to be done as a player. I'm sorry, but I think that Decker was right in front of the ref, Sewell was deception and Skipper shouldn't Even be in question as he's running towards Decker and Sewell. I believe if Skipper just went to the huddle, we wouldn't have this problem. Simple "in the moment" mistake by ref. Did this lose the game? Nope, MCDC didn't tie it up. There's a possible chance Dallas could still put away the game with 24-26 seconds left on the clock... we'll never know. I just personally don't like gaslighting from people trying to cover for the NFL. This was still an egregious mistake by Allen when he HAD the time to slow down, process the situation and execute.

[@p215j]

Thank you. 100% agreement. Brad Allen needs to be investigated. Fix was in

[@docbob1182]

Sorry but the data used in this analysis was so incomplete that it made it inaccurate. Several things not considered here: 1. This exact play including the players involved was previewed with the refs pregame 2. Skip never talked to the ref, you can confirm that in the complete video - he simply ran up to Deck and another player talking to the ref in order to deceive the defense but said nothing. 3. There is a high def close-up video that shows the ref nodding his head in acknowledgement after Deck said something (reported) to him. 4. There was not an illegal formation: it is what's called an unbalanced formation, so Deck was basically lined up as a tight end, while the other side had 2 tackles. You can do that, so long as you have 7 total at the line of scrimmage. 5. Offenses try to deceive defenses all day long; that does not excuse the officiating crew from making mistakes based on how the teams try to trick each other! 6. The two point conversion was officially called as successful by the officiating crew on the field & was on the scoreboard for over 15"; there were no flags until 17 seconds had lapsed. The flag/reversal came from upstairs. How is that possible if the rationale was that #68 did not report? 7. While the lions could have noticed and corrected the overhead announcement that # 70 was reporting as an eligible they're all engaged in the game at this point and feel that the communication has been made it is certainly not their responsibility to police the stadium announcement. That's absurd.

[@henrygarza2453]

Well in light of this new info This officiating crew is clearly on top of all that is going on the field therefore excellent officiating And should be upgraded to 1st crew

[@michaelboyd2537]

YOU LIE OR YOU ARE BLIND. TIME CODE 2:30 LOOK AT THE CLOSER PLAYER DECKER. WHO IS RUBBING HIS STOMACH BEFORE HE GETS TO THE REF.

[@REIGNBOLENT]

So what both players still can't report as eligible so that's still not a good point. Only 1 player can report as eligible and both did gesture trying to confuse ref and cowboys players and it back fired. That's on those clowns for that which shows why they've been so terrible all these years.

[@dogger37JC]

So 70 did the same thing he did earlier when he checked in as eligible as he did on the 2 point conversion. Even if Decker did the gesture, 70 did too.

[@Lavenderplays77]

All this should be NULL AND VOID,.. because why is no one talking this much about the INCORRECT call against Dallas for TRIPPING? After the replay, it is SO obvious that it was the Lions that should have been called, therefore, Dallas would have had the ball at the 10 and either ran the clock out or kicked a field goal.. This dumb 2 pt conversion issue wouldn't even been an issue had that call been correct. Dallas wins no matter how you look at it it.. Lions just looking for an excuse..

[@GulNadar]

Execpt the Cowboys could have ran the ball after the tripping call and ran out the clock. Cowboys coaches screwed up their clock management.

[@gxr7777]

Maybe if Brad Allen had made the pre-game meeting he would have been better at his job. Maybe its time to have a better way for the coach to pass this info along from the booth people.

[@swdetroitsfinest4628]

Funny cause the coach did go over the whole play with the officials before the game they knew now they trying to cover up there mistake anything for Dallas to win that night on Jimmy's ceremony night and to keep them undefeated at home it's simple to understand what happened

[@iceecayden4906]

@@swdetroitsfinest4628 stay mad that the Lions tried to confuse the Cowboys and failed miserably, and now the Cowboys are gonna win the division L

[@gxr7777]

I guess Brad didn't show up only the other refs.@@swdetroitsfinest4628

[@James-h7c7r]

So a man checked in from 10 yards away lmao

[@diamonddave7555]

Wrong Again, for a couple reasons. 1) Geoff in the huddle sending Decker to report. 2) It was a tactic to confusion the Defense, so they wouldn't key on just one eligible receiver, and 3), there was no flaw, pressure or second guess on the play, you could see it was designed. Too good, they confused the refs...that's what happened. It was 2 points. Lions Did win the game

[@DialloKreed]

Great job on this.

[@wedemboys1761]

fare is fare sucks to be lion ... what about the botched kicking call on the Boys ???? the Lions would not have gotten the ball back if not for that call

[@GulNadar]

Cowboys could have run the ball AFTER the tripping. Go have a talk with their coaches about clock management.

[@RobertCooperTheGallery]

You didn't mention that Dan Campbell told the officials before the game started that they would be doing this.... So the officials knew beforehand this was going to happen and still fucked it up....

[@davidforman6191]

But they hadn't done it previously in the game so how would the refs know this time was different?

[@MrTerminator73]

Dan Campbell admitted he heard on the loudspeaker twice that 70 was eligible in yesterday's press conference but he did not have a timeout to change it to 68. So, he went with it and he screwed himself/ lions trying to be slick.

[@amanouillazar675]

No the official they screwed up so don’t cover for them Because Dan camble Told the before the game that 68 is aligabl

[@RobertCooperTheGallery]

You can defend the Refs all you want, cast blame on the Lions, but I am willing to bet my life that if the Cowboys, 49ers, Chiefs, or any other of the NFL darling teams did the exact same thing, there would have been no penalty, and if their was one, they would have picked up the flag and came up with some other excuse....Lions, Browns, Panthers, etc are not ever getting a call their way or the benefit of the doubt....

[@martinmunoz845]

Did he mention number 68

[@CmarshallR]

I call BS because Skipper never reported as per nfl guidelines: "It is the responsibility of the player to be sure that change in status is clearly communicated to the referee by both a physical signal, with his hands up and down in front of his chest, and to report to the referee his intention to report as an eligible receiver,"-NFL senior vice president Walt Anderson.

[@havindy]

Listening to this is just confirmation that you can’t trust journalists. Here’s what the NFL rule book says about reporting as an eligible receiver: “[P]rovided that he immediately reports the change in his eligibility status to the Referee, who will inform the defensive team. He must participate in such eligible or ineligible position as long as he is continuously in the game, but prior to each play he must again report his status to the Referee, who will inform the defensive team. The game clock shall not be stopped, and the ball shall not be put in play until the Referee takes his normal position.” Nothing about waving your hands or visual declarations.

[@butchl6403]

Can you post the announcement to the stadium of who the eligible player by the ref is? I’ve watched the end of the game several times and didn’t hear it.

[@OTCxMar]

They really tried their hardest to focus on #70 in the video. One hand on the head isn't the signal to report as eligible, it's both hands on the numbers. You can see Decker do the signal right as he approaches Brad Allen in your video at 2:40

[@krautyvonlederhosen]

I’m not a Dallas fan but Lions tried a smokescreen.The 3 players bum rushed the ref to confuse the issue. Ref told Dallas #70 was eligible, then announced over PA system where the whole world heard the same. Everyone except the Lions? If you are going to catch the pass, you make certain the refs understand the same.Once the announcement was made, the deception was complete. Lions are using media to argue their case. They tried but only screwed themselves by not kicking extra point.

[@jason305dallascowboysfan8]

Facts. That’s what I was saying

[@turnerxrashawn]

Number one they didn’t bum rush the ref….#70 skipper was SUBBING OUT for another player which is why he said he never said anything to the ref. Why would he? You don’t need to let the refs know substitutions as long as it’s the right amount of men in the field. The ref mistaken said 70 instead of 68 bc 70 had been reporting all game. That ref looked straight at 68 nodded and then told Dallas #70. Kurt Warner went over the play, and the play was legal. They threw a false flag and the ref lied about it even when the video proves he stared at 68 and nodded which is why his whole crew have been demoted from the playoffs

[@turnerxrashawn]

And they out of time outs so they couldn’t correct it!!!! What you want them to do basically tell the cowboys they trick play??? lol yall is crazy. This situation happened bc the ref was being lazy as several esteemed formers players had called him out for it since, it’s pure laziness and cost the other team a win

[@turnerxrashawn]

And for ppl saying they would have covered 68 had they known, did they cover it years back when Detroit ran the same play for a walk off win? Exactly a lot of ppl on here never played organized football at all and it shows

[@positivelife90]

Decker literally rubs or points to jersy number at 2:22 then again at 2:51. Stop pausing the video, and you'd see that

[@chazm3]

I’m confused about the rules for the line of scrimmage. There must be at least seven players on the line of scrimmage. To be an eligible receiver who is on the line of scrimmage you must be on either end of the line for a maximum of two eligible receivers on the line of scrimmage. That is very clear, but it’s unclear whether there must be two eligible receivers on the line of scrimmage. In other words, can one of the players that’s at the end of one side of the line of scrimmage be a tackle who is ineligible? Some commenters on these KZbins say say no but I think the rule book might be ambiguous about this point due to imprecise language. “Eligible receivers must be on both ends of the line of scrimmage” might merely mean “if you want to be an eligible receiver you have to be at one end of the line of scrimmage”. People say 68 Decker was ineligible no matter what because he was the last on the left side end of the line of scrimmage after 70 was announced as eligible on the right. I looked for rules about an unbalanced line and found one description that said a team can give up one potential eligible receiver in some unbalanced lines.

[@harrymaiolo6719]

The point that is missed here (no pun intended) is that regardless of who’s at fault, the play could not stand because the defense was given the wrong information about who was elegible, as evidence of #68 being left uncovered. Therefore the down would have to be replayed, which it eventually was after the off sides penalty was assesed

[@bzzzb8]

Even if the info had been relayed to the Dallas defense they still may not have stopped him from catching the ball. We just dont know. All we know is that the officiating was goofy there. It was a game played in Dallas on Jimmy Johnson's ROH celebration and Jerry wouldn't have an embarassing loss that night LOL

[@CodyStauffer]

"You don't see at all Decker rub his belly" as he's literally rubbing his belly for the second time in the clip

[@dogger37JC]

No I see him touch his chest with his right arm briefly right as he leaves the huddle and then drop his arm down. He never touches or gestures again as he approaches Brad Allen. Skipper on the other hand is running towards them left arm raised and right arm rubbing his chest.

[@j.r.wright4298]

If they were rigging it then they wouldn't have called a bogus tripping call the dallas drive before when dallas got the 1st down and Detroit only had 1 timeout left and the game is over. Nice try though

[@ghog15]

Reporting to the referee is one thing, informing the defense of who is eligible is another. If the Cowboys were not informed that #68 was eligible, then of course they're not going to cover him. Detrroit didn't get "screwed" or "robbed" but rather, they tried to pull a "Who's on first" bullshittery and it blew up in their face. Dan Campbell is just using the controversy to push away the spotlight from him going for it on 4th and goal two different times and failing instead of taking the fieled goal pts.

[@DennisLupien]

Excellent point...if the lions want to call and report a crime Barry sanders career record was 74-79

[@unfoldingskin]

​@@DennisLupien it's not a good point at all when you think about it. If they called 68 as eligible, what changes? Watch the play, he is accounted for. There are 2 defenders in his area. They couldn't account for him more than they did. What would they have done differently? Triple teamed the offensive lineman with pass catchers like st brown and LaPorta out there? That makes no sense

[@bobbycone2]

Fantastic video!

[@djsatt]

Game over! Get over it. Detroit changing their name to "Detroit Cheetas" lmao

[@Stock1897]

from what i've seen in interviews with former players, it seems you have the choice of doing either a chest rub OR verbally telling the official you are reporting. perhaps that is not what the rules specifically say but maybe the officials have been accepting verbal only reporting? Dean Blandino also said in an interview that the stadium announcement of who is eligible can be difficult to hear at field level, especially when the crowd is going crazy.

[@jonathanwaters2624]

it was very clear.

[@mojoschmee9320]

And yet, this video and audio evidence ON THE FIELD demonstrate that it was clearly heard, and Goff has even acknowledged he heard it announced.

[@fgmntfmgnshn]

You are wrong about 1 thing... the flexed arm Skipper is using is not for the referee, but to his teammates as in we are in a "heavy" or "strong" formation. It lets the other players know who he is being subbed in for (in both examples a wr then came off the field). In the video made by the NFL, it only states that the player has to rub his numbers (look at Deckers right arm: as he walks to the ref, its by his side, when he gets there, it moves up and in).

[@MrPetej00]

except he isnt running to the huddle he is running to the ref. he had his hand on his chest and the ref pointed to him, acknowledging his eligibility.

[@retiefgregorovich810]

Stop making things up you don't know to be true, or were you in the game?

[@buckydewhurst5767]

Looks like he’s snapping on his chin strap

[@JJ-nh8lv]

Well, as much as I hate to admit, it seems to show why the head official thought 70 was eligible, but why wasn't the play flagged for illegal formation.

[@a.j.wilkes6352]

I think there were? Two flags were thrown on the play and the Referee may have just announced the accepted penalty.

[@truantmale]

there was, dallas chose illegal touching to be enforced

[@darkhobo]

It's not an illegal formation. There were 7 guys in the line. And 5 in a row over the ball. Thats what a legal formation is. The other players can be anywhere but on the line. Decker was lined up at TE. But it looked like he was lined up at LT. That was the whole point of the play. You think the lineman is a lineman but nope he runs a route. As long as there's 7 guys on the line it's legal.

[@retiefgregorovich810]

@@darkhobo How can you say there were seven on the line when all three of the receivers were one yard or more OFF the line of scrimmage? Only a Lion's fan would look at the right outside receiver and say he was on the line when he was only a few inches closer than the left outside receiver who Lions fans rightfully say didn't cover up 68. To be on the line, you have to be on the line, not a yard away from it. Look at the last 2 pt attempt and you will see two receivers properly on the line of scrimmage. There were multiple reasons to call illegal formation on that first 2 pt attempt and the fact that the refs didn't immediately throw a flag is one reason they won't be refs in the playoffs. The bogus tripping call another reason.

[@johnm8096]

Wrong. An ineligible can’t be uncovered on the end of the line.

[@thomasburns6655]

The trouble is that the audio you hear on the clip here is from a play about 4 minutes previous and not from this play.

[@daniellaforme9868]

Thx for the clarification! Good job

[@aaronclawson835]

Finally someone explained it instead of just crying and saying that they got ripped off

[@brucevandermeulen4170]

Explain and fix the mistake.

[@donbecker6190]

Decker did swipe his numbers from another camera angle. Brad Allen "assumed" when he saw Skipper that he was reporting from 20 yards away rather than Decker who was right in front of him. That was too big of a moment at this part of the season to assume anything with the game and a shot at the #2 seed for whoever wins on the line. The ref blew it.

[@reginaldblouin2769]

lol did you not hear or see that he needs to signal not say he is wtf

[@UmbreonDarkness69]

​@@reginaldblouin2769DID YOU NOT SEE THAT DECKER RAN HIS RIGHT HAND DOWN HIS CHEST AS HE WAS WALKING OVER TO BRAD

[@tomblue564]

So, the explanation is that the player has to hold up his hand AND report to the ref, yet the guy the official said was eligible never got close enough to the ref to verbally report. NFL, by their words, got it WRONG

[@spry_guy]

It all comes down to who reported. It was a planned play and Decker reported. The play was even explained to the officials pre-game. The ref screwed up and the NFL refuses to admit it.

[@JP-sm1dc]

You realize you are arguing over 5 yards not 2 points right?

[@mnshws12]

Lions screwed up! 3 guys running to the ref, no reason for cheating! 70 running to the ref Again the Lions screwed up by tricking or cheating!

[@Katharsys73]

Thank you SO much for this explanation (which came from the league, not just your own analysis). As a Cowboys fan, I get the anger, but this proves that the game ended the way it should have. I've been catching hell from Lions fans and Cowboys haters alike (and seeing it on every sports channel on TV and the internet) who are all screaming that the game was "rigged." I'd send a link to this video out to every football fan and commentator in the world if it were possible!

[@andyl8532]

Same story here

[@mc-lp4zl]

It's plain and simple. The Lions blew it. Lions fans think they got cheated on a play that was illegitimate. Having multiple linemen approaching the ref only adds to the confusion. I like Dan Campbell, but sometimes, overly aggressive play calling, in certain situations, can lead to losses. If McCarthy pulled that stunt, Cowboy fans would be roasting him.

[@johncastillo8551]

lol that "stunt" is nothing compared to McCarthy's legendary clock management. And btw to say "illegitimate" is ridiculous. The ref literally was the one that made it illegitamate. And even Gene Steratore called it great gamesmanship as far as how it was window dressed. The refs just screwed it up dude it's so obvious.

[@GulNadar]

What's it like being so wrong on multiple sentences?

[@drewmsix]

Excellent explanation!

[@iitstre_4550]

The video literally still proves the ref was wrong. What? 😂😂😂

[@A.LaVerga]

If the refs would’ve got it right and announced 68 as eligible then the defense would’ve accounted for him instead of 70 and there’s no guarantee the play would’ve succeeded.

[@rickpowell9308]

Anything to not admitted they were wrong.

[@johngrant3836]

They got the 2pt Conversion call RIGHT; however, they screwed up on the botched Tripping Call as well as a few other crucial screw-ups earlier in the game... smh!