DETROIT (AP) — Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell wasn’t interested in overtime Saturday night.
When his team got the ball for one final drive against the Dallas Cowboys, trailing 20-13, he told them they would score a touchdown and the go-ahead 2-point conversion. He even knew who was going to catch it — tackle Taylor Decker.
Decker, an eight-year veteran from Ohio State, was one of the “old guard” players Campbell honored after the Lions clinched their first division title in 30 years last weekend. Now, on the biggest play of the game, Decker was going to get the ball.
The play worked perfectly — Decker faked a block before slipping into the back of the end zone to catch Jared Goff’s 2-point conversion pass and a 21-20 lead — until a penalty was called.
According to referee Brad Allen, Dan Skipper had reported as an eligible receiver, not Decker. The play was called back and the Cowboys hung on for a 20-19 win that will be key in the NFC seeding picture.
In the locker room, the Lions said that the mistake was not theirs. Campbell said he explained the play to the officiating crew before the game. Decker said he reported to Allen and Skipper said he didn’t report.
Video showed Decker having a conversation with Allen, who then said something to the Dallas defense.
“I don’t know if I’ll get fined for this, but I do know that Decker reported,” Goff said. “I do know that Dan Skipper did not, and I do know that they said that Dan Skipper did. It’s unfortunate.”
The Lions have to regain their focus going into the regular-season finale next weekend against Minnesota. They may finish with the No. 3 seed, but beating the Vikings at home will mean not having to host them again in the wild-card round — the third game between the teams in four weeks.
Of course, there’s another possibility — one that is already giving Lions fans sleepless nights. What if the Lions’ first playoff game at Ford Field — their home since 2002 — is against Matthew Stafford? They cheered for Stafford when he got his Super Bowl ring with the Rams, but they don’t want to see him come back to Detroit for another postseason victory.
WHAT’S WORKING
Even though Decker’s catch didn’t count, the Lions offensive line had another big game. Detroit finished with 125 yards rushing and Goff was only sacked once. For the season, they have 2,241 yards rushing and 25 touchdowns, and have a chance of finishing the season with two 1,000 yard rushers: David Montgomery needs 25 yards against the Vikings and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs needs 85.
WHAT NEEDS HELP
The Lions secondary is a mess. They’ve allowed 756 passing yards against the Vikings and Cowboys, and CeeDee Lamb caught 13 passes for 227 yards, with cornerback Cam Sutton chasing him all over the field. Now they will be facing Justin Jefferson, who just had six catches for 141 yards against them last week.
STOCK UP
Rookie defensive end Aidan Hutchinson went into the Cowboys game with two sacks in his previous 10 games. In Dallas, though, he had three sacks, four tackles for loss and five quarterback hits. He also drew a tripping penalty that kept the Cowboys from running out the clock.
STOCK DOWN
When Goff is at his best, he’s a precise passer who rarely turns the ball over. In the past seven games, though, he has turned the ball over 10 times. His second interception could have allowed Dallas to run out the clock and he missed two chances at the 2-point conversion after the penalty on Decker.
INJURIES
TE Sam LaPorta (81 catches, 860 yards, nine touchdowns) and WR Jameson Williams (24 catches, 354 yards, three combined touchdowns) were both limping after the game. LaPorta has become Goff’s No. 2 option behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Williams is Detroit’s biggest deep threat.
KEY NUMBER
12. With a win over the Vikings next weekend, the Lions can tie the franchise record of 12 wins in a season. Led by Barry Sanders, they went 12-4 in 1991 before losing the NFC championship game to Washington.
NEXT STEPS
Campbell needs to balance beating the Vikings with keeping his team healthy for the wild-card round.
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