by Colton Pouncey, John Machota, Saad Yusuf
Saturday night’s matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions lacked scoring, but it featured momentum shifts, dramatic two-point conversion attempts, and the pomp and atmosphere of a Ring of Honor Hall of Famer. made up for it.
The Cowboys defeated the Lions 20-19 at AT&T Stadium, ending their losing streak at two. Detroit attempted three two-point plays in the final minutes of the game, but no runs were allowed.
Trailing 20-13, the Lions advanced 75 yards in 1 minute, 18 seconds before entering the end zone on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Lions appeared to take the lead on a two-point conversion pass from Goff to offensive lineman Taylor Decker, but they were flagged for an illegal touch. It was ruled that Decker failed to report as an eligible receiver before the play, and the score was wiped from the scoreboard. On Detroit’s second two-point shot, Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons called an offsides penalty, negating the interception. The third two-point shot failed due to an incomplete pass from Goff to James Mitchell.
Lions manager Dan Campbell said in the postgame press conference that the reason Decker was ineligible for his two-point conversion, which was negated by a penalty, was because two players could not be reported as eligible. He said he was informed by a person concerned.
according to NFL Rule 5, Section 3, Article 1there is no limit to the number of players who can report being eligible for a particular play.
When asked why an illegal touch penalty was called on the first attempt, referee Brad Allen said Decker did not report it to him.
“For this particular play, No. 70 (Dan Skipper), who I had reported several times during the game, informed me that he was eligible and lined up in the tackle position. was not required to report at all. No. 68 (Decker), who ended up going downfield and touching the pass, did not report it. Therefore, he was not entitled to touch the pass that crossed the line and was charged with a foul. ,” Allen said, according to the pool report. “The problem is that number 70 reported it, but number 68 did not.”
Allen also mentioned the second flag thrown on that play.
“Because number 70 was reported as eligible and covered up on the line of scrimmage, it would be an illegal formation. That means number 70 is in an illegal position because it is covered by the rules, and number 68 is in an illegal position. I caught a pass, which is also illegal.”
Detroit’s third two-point try came up short, but Dallas wide receiver CeeDee Lamb recovered the onside kick to seal the victory.
The final play was the button for a historic performance for Lamb, who broke the record for most receiving yards in a single season. His first 200-yard receiving game of his career. The 24-year-old had 227 yards against Detroit and has 1,651 receiving yards in 16 games this season.
Lamb waltzed into the end zone for the first of Dallas’ two touchdowns with a 92-yard reception after the Cowboys quarterback appeared to be taken down in the end zone, and Dak. A flower unexpectedly bloomed from Prescott’s hand. Prescott eluded Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes to avoid safety, then zipped up. It was the longest touchdown pass play in the NFL this season. It was the second longest It was the best pass play in Dallas franchise history, falling just short of the 95-yard toss in 1966.
The Cowboys pulled off a thrilling escape in front of former coach Jimmie Johnson, who was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor at halftime.
What are the players saying?
Should the Lions have gone for it again?
That will sting for a while. The Lions had a chance to win the game, but a two-point conversion pass from Goff to Decker was flagged for an illegal touch penalty, which would have given the Lions the lead late in the game. On the next play, the Cowboys were flagged offside, giving the Lions a third and final chance. The Lions probably should have kicked the extra point at that point. But Campbell went for it again, but the pass from Goff to Mitchell was short and incomplete. That was your ballgame. Campbell seemed visibly irritated by the illegal touch call. I should have known he would comment on it after the game. — Colton Pouncey, Lions Beat Writer
How Detroit stacked up
The Lions wanted to see how they would fare against one of the NFC’s better teams. In the end, despite the loss, things went pretty well. They finished nearly 20 points below the Cowboys’ home scoring average. They settled the Cowboys in Dallas, and the team won 15 straight games.
No moral victories, but if you wanted to see the Lions play at the level of their NFC contenders, they got it tonight. Of course, there will be a lot to discuss about coaching decisions, play calling, etc., but overall the Lions were even with the Cowboys. At least that should give them confidence heading into January. — Dashing
Cowboys finish regular season undefeated at home
It took a lot of time at the end, but the Cowboys ended the regular season undefeated at home. They can thank the Lions for deciding to score two points on three different occasions after the final touchdown. In the end, the Cowboys found a way to end their losing streak at two. It will be fun to watch these two play again next month. — John Machota, Cowboys Beat Writer
Lamb’s big day
There was no bigger star on Saturday night than Lamb. The Pro Bowl wide receiver had 13 receptions for 227 yards and one touchdown in his career games. In the process, he set franchise single-season records for receptions and receiving yards. Both records were previously held by Michael Irvin, who was in attendance.
Last week against Miami, Lamb wasn’t targeted in the second or third quarters, but it was clear he would be targeted early and often. — Machota
High tides and high tides in Dallas
The Cowboys defense had a roller coaster night with great highs and some troubling lows. The high points were the turnovers, highlight-reel interceptions by Jordan Lewis and Donovan Wilson. Wilson’s interception in particular was a big play in a clutch moment that could have ended the game.
However, after some questionable play calls on offense, the Lions had enough time to make a last gasp effort. The Cowboys’ defense worked, with Goff methodically driving the Cowboys down the field for a touchdown. — Saad Yusuf, Cowboys Beat Writer
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(Photo: Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
