Dean Blandino Explains Fundamental Problem With Lions’ Attempt to Confuse Cowboys

As Week 18 draws near, talk of the contentious penalty issued on the Detroit Lions that cost them a chance to defeat the Dallas Cowboys is still very much alive.

The question is whether or whether the officials made the right call to negate the two-point conversion, which would have put Detroit ahead 21–20 and probably won. Taylor Decker, an offensive tackle, was ruled an ineligible receiver after he caught a pass in the end zone. This prevented the Lions from scoring two points and gained them five yards back.

Coach Dan Campbell insisted that the penalty never should have been called because he informed the officiating crew before the game that the Lions would send three linemen to the referee, with one of them checking in as an eligible receiver. Campbell later admitted that the tactic was intended to deceive the Cowboys’ defense.

However, the officials never should have allowed the Lions to employ such a ruse. That’s according to former NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino, now a rules analyst for Fox.

Blandino was asked by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio if officials would accommodate a team’s admitted attempt to confuse a defense as to which lineman could be an eligible receiver on a play.

Blandino informed Florio, “If a coach told officials that, the officials would tell them they couldn’t do it.” “The referee would never allow that to happen and would ensure that the defense was aware of precisely who was reporting.”

Referee Brad Allen was confused by the Lions, as it turned out, and thought reserve guard Dan Skipper was an eligible receiver in Detroit’s offensive formation. Thoughtful in its attempt to trick the Cowboys, the Lions’ actions shouldn’t have been permitted if they had been more transparent about their goals.

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