The end of the Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys Week 17 game will be one of the most-talked-about moments of the 2023 NFL season.
The Lions were called for illegal touching on their successful two-point try after a late touchdown drew them within one point of the Cowboys.
Officials said that offensive lineman Taylor Decker did not report as an eligible receiver before he caught the two-point try, but Detroit said he did.
The try was re-played, and the Lions failed to convert as the Cowboys won the game, 20-19.
That moment could have a serious effect on the NFC playoff picture, and the series of events frustrated ESPN analyst Rex Ryan for more than the referees just making the wrong call.
“This is a huge mistake. But the thing that bothers me the most is that we’re putting blame on the players,” Ryan said Sunday. “Stop. The players did everything right. So quit blaming, quit covering somebody’s butt and tell it the way it is.”
“Stop blaming the players.”
Rex Ryan says the officials missed it in the Lions vs. Cowboys game. pic.twitter.com/sWTNv4omOd
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) December 31, 2023
The point of contention here is whether or not Decker actually reported to the referees before the play or if the referee misheard him.
The Lions – from Decker himself to head coach Dan Campbell to quarterback Jared Goff – all said the referee made a mistake on the play, while the officials said a different lineman, Dan Skipper, was the one who actually reported to them.
Regardless of the truth, the outcome remains the same: The Cowboys improved to 11-5 while the Lions dropped to 11-5.
Both are playoff-bound, but their seeding in the NFC postseason remains unclear with the rest of Week 17 and all of Week 18 left to play.
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