The Detroit Lions’ Week 6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs already stung, but the frustration hit another level when a creative trick-play touchdown was wiped off the board.
What looked like a brilliant Dan Campbell play design turned into confusion for everyone, including quarterback Jared Goff, who was left scratching his head over the explanation officials gave for the penalty.
Jared Goff touchdown penalty
A Touchdown That Never Counted
On Detroit’s opening drive, Goff appeared to cap off a nearly 10-minute march with a highlight-reel touchdown catch on fourth-and-goal from the one.
The Lions pulled out all the stops, Goff lined up under center, then went in motion just before the snap as running back David Montgomery took a wildcat snap. Montgomery, a former high school quarterback, rolled out and tossed a perfect pass to Goff, who made the catch while Amon-Ra St. Brown sealed off the edge with an excellent block.
It looked like a masterpiece. But moments later, the referees threw a flag, and the touchdown was erased for illegal motion.
Goff said after the game that he and the coaching staff were blindsided by the ruling.
“I guess we all need to do a little research on what exactly went wrong,” Goff said. “My hands were not under center and I was set to begin the play. As far as I was concerned, I thought that was the only thing I needed to do.”
“That’s a New Version of the Rule I’ve Never Heard Of”
According to the officiating crew, Goff’s proximity to the center, not just his hand placement, classified him as a quarterback, which meant he was not allowed to go in motion without stopping first.
It was a technical call, and one Goff admitted he didn’t even know existed.
“They were saying that because of how close I was to the center, that then declares me as a quarterback and then I can’t go in motion,” Goff explained. “I was only under the impression that it was my hands under center. So, that’s a new version of that rule that I had never heard of, and I think a lot of our coaches had never heard of.”
The penalty wiped out what could have been an early statement score on the road. Instead, the Lions had to settle for a field goal, the first of several missed opportunities in the 30-17 loss.
The Frustration of the Late Flag
What made the situation worse was the delay in the call. The Lions were already lining up for the extra point when the officials huddled and eventually ruled the play illegal.
“We were lining up for the extra point,” Goff said. “It’s essentially an illegal formation that they’re calling from the booth, which I’ve never heard of. But that’s not the difference in the game. It was a cool play that would’ve been fun to score on, and would’ve been nice to get a touchdown there, but I don’t think that by any means would have flipped the game.”
Still, the quarterback acknowledged that confusion like that can be costly in a game where every possession counts.
Looking Ahead
Despite the disappointment, Goff refused to pin the loss entirely on the officiating. Instead, he pointed to the Lions’ failure to capitalize on long drives.
“We did run the ball well. I thought we threw the ball well at times,” Goff said. “Finishing those drives with touchdowns is what it came down to. They did it, we didn’t.”
The Lions will now shift focus to next Monday night’s showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, hoping to clean up the small mistakes and turn creative play designs into points that actually count.