The Detroit Lions ‘ 30-17 loss to Kansas City on Sunday night was ugly enough, but the controversy after the game may be worse. Head coach Dan Campbell publicly contradicted the referee over a questionable penalty. Now someone’s lying, and the NFL has a mess on its hands.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell talks to referee regarding a call during the first half against Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell talks to referee regarding a call during the first half against Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025.
Campbell claimed he was told by an on-field official that the illegal motion call on Jared Goff came from New York’s officiating command center. That’s a serious problem because illegal motion isn’t a reviewable play under NFL rules.
But referee Craig Wrolstad told reporters after the game, “We did not have any assistance from Kansas City or New York”.
NFL Fans Explode as Dan Campbell Hints at Officiating Scandal Following Lions’ Loss to Chiefs
The controversy revolves around a first-quarter trick play that should have been Detroit’s highlight. Goff got fully committed to the receiver role and caught a touchdown pass from running back David Montgomery, shocking the entire crowd at Arrowhead Stadium. Then came the flag 90 seconds after the play ended.
Doesn’t count but was still cool pic.twitter.com/YvM7fjH3w4
— St. Brown Podcast (@StBrownPodcast) October 13, 2025
On the Costa and Jansen Show on 97.1 The Ticket, Campbell was asked if the overturned touchdown came from his opponents. His affirmative reply directly contradicted Wrolstad’s pool report.
Fans smelled blood in the water immediately. The Chiefs weren’t flagged once the entire game, while Detroit was hit with multiple penalties. The uneven officiating fueled bias accusations.
One fan wrote, “Can’t even keep their lies straight.”
Another added, “So somebody is lying.”
A third explained, “They said the play was not reviewable but that they had a conference among the refs and decided it was a penalty. That’s what got me mad.”
A fourth added, “This is 100% a scandal now that Coach Dan has doubled and tripled down on his statement that the call came from New York.”
The fifth explained, “Their ref on the broadcast was very forceful in how he said that play was illegal. When he said it, we instantly knew that call was being reversed which means it definitely DID come from NY.”
The controversy cuts deeper than one blown call. It’s about trust. Campbell isn’t a coach who cries to the media after losses. His credibility with players, fans, and media is rock solid. When a respected coach publicly accuses officials of dishonesty, people listen.
What’s Making Everyone Think the Referee Is Lying?
In the pool report, reporter Matt Derrick asked Wrolstad about any help the crew received from replay officials in Kansas City or New York. Wrolstad replied, “We did not have any assistance from Kansas City or New York.”
Pool report on the Jared Goff TD penalty pic.twitter.com/DKrJX2yHCR
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) October 13, 2025
He said the delay was caused by confusion over whether Goff had stopped twice — once at the quarterback position and again before going in motion.
The Lions head coach doubled down on Wednesday, insisting he was told by an NFL official on the field that New York initiated the review. If true, that’s a rulebook violation. If false, why would an official feed Campbell bogus info?
The Lions sent footage of the play to the league office for review but Campbell couldn’t reveal the NFL’s response.
Either the league broke its own rules by letting New York weigh in on a non-reviewable call, or someone on the crew gave Campbell false information. Neither option looks good.