Video Evidence Seems to Refute Referee Brad Allen’s Explanation for Controversial Penalty Against Lions

Wesley Hitt_Getty Images (1)
Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
Warner Todd Huston

NFL Referee Brad Allen is standing by his penalty call Saturday that canceled out what would have been a game-winning point for the Detroit Lions despite the video that seems to show that his call was wrong.

During the waning moments of the Lions’ game against the Dallas Cowboys, Lions tackle Taylor Decker caught what he and his coach thought was a two-point pass from quarterback Jared Goff, which would have given the Lions 21 points to the Cowboys 20, giving the game to Detroit.

But after the play, ref Brad Allen declared “illegal touching” on the play and ruled it invalid. Allen claimed that ahead of the play, Decker failed to report to Allen that he was eligible as he was required to do, and therefore, his participation in the play was illegal, Allen said, according to the New York Post.

“So, we had a situation where if you were going to have an ineligible number [player] occupy an eligible position, you have to report that to the referee. On this particular play, number 70 [Skipper,] who had reported during the game a couple of times, reported to me as eligible. Then he lined up at the tackle position,” Allen explained after the game.

So, Allen claimed that Lions tackle Dan Skipper was the player who reported to him ahead of the play, but Decker made the catch. If that were the case, the play would certainly be a penalty.

“So, actually, he didn’t have to report at all. Number 68 [Decker], who ended up going downfield and touching a pass, did not report. Therefore, he is an ineligible, touching a pass that goes beyond the line, which makes it a foul. So, the issue is, number 70 did report, number 68 did not,” the ref continued.

But the video from the field before the play seems to show that Decker (no. 68) walked up to Allen and said something to him, not Skipper. In fact, the video shows that Skipper (no. 70) ran up to the group after the ref had already begun walking away. Even the TV Skycam identified no. 68 as the one who approached the ref.

After the game, a frustrated Lions head coach, Dan Campbell, also said that he had even spoken to the officiating team about using that play before the game. So, as far as he is concerned, all due reporting was satisfied.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Campbell said. “I explain everything pregame to a tee, OK? I did that.”

Decker also claims that he reported as required.

“All I really want to say on it, just so I don’t get myself into trouble, is I did exactly what coach told me to do,” Decker said after the game, according to the Detroit News.

“I went to the ref, said, ‘Report,’ and yeah. I don’t know. It was my understanding, too, that (head coach) Dan (Campbell) brings up the possibility of those sorts of plays pregame, so I did what I was told to do, did it how we did it in practice all week, and that’s probably all we can touch on with that.”

Goff was also confused by the officiating.

“What I do know — and I don’t know if I’ll get fined for this — but I do know that Decker reported, I do know that Dan Skipper did not, and I do know that they said Dan Skipper did,” Goff said.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston, or Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.