Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys

Dean Blandino: ‘No doubt in my mind that Taylor Decker reported’

Blandino, on the Detroit Lions Podcast, placed the blame squarely on Brad Allen making a mistake on the controversial conversion attempt in Dallas

As part of the latest episode of the Detroit Lions Podcast, former NFL head of officiating Dean Blandino joined us to talk about the controversial 2-pt. conversion call in Dallas. It’s an interview that the NFL and, more specifically, referee Brad Allen will probably not like.

Blandino has spent several years now working in broadcast media, including as the top NFL rules analyst for FOX Sports. He was also in charge of officiating at the XFL and introduced the “open mic” concept where fans could hear the official’s discussions.

When asked about the idea that the Lions were attempting to gain a deceptive edge with their approach of having multiple linemen head toward Allen, Blandino made it clear the Lions did nothing wrong there.

“The Lions did not do anything illegal,” Blandino said. “The Lions did nothing illegal.”

“I have no doubt in my mind that Taylor Decker reported,” Blandino said. “No doubt because the play doesn’t work if Taylor Decker doesn’t report.”

Blandino continued, with his take on how Allen made his mistake.

“Allen saw Skipper come onto the field and went into autopilot … (Allen) assumed that Skipper was reporting, and he went too fast. That’s what happened.”

He did concede, “The way the Lions presented it was unusual.” However, he continued to place the onus on Allen for “going too fast” and not performing his job properly.

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Lions run defense continues to smother opposing RBs

The Lions run defense has been very good all season, but the recent run of stuffing RBs has been even better

One of the overlooked facets of Saturday night’s controversially officiated game between the Lions and Cowboys is just how well the Detroit run defense played. For the second week in a row, the Lions turned in an elite defensive performance in stopping opposing running backs.

In this case, it was Tony Pollard. The lead Cowboys RB managed just 49 yards on 16 carries, 18 of which came on one run. Even more impressive than holding Pollard to just over 3.0 yards per carry is that the Lions did so without stacking the box a single time, per Next Gen Stats. Base defense suffocated the opposing running back in Dallas, just as it did one week earlier against the Vikings. Minnesota, Detroit’s Week 18 opponent, gained 16 yards on 10 carries by running backs in Week 16 against the Lions.

It has been an unheralded strength of the Lions defense all season, but especially since the Week 9 bye week. In the eight games since the bye, Detroit’s defense has allowed opposing running backs just 474 yards on 151 carries. That’s an average of just 3.18 yards per handoff. Quarterbacks and wideouts, as well as whatever you want to call Taysom Hill, have fared quite a bit better against the Lions, but the run defense has been great at stopping running backs.

It looks even better on first-down carries by running backs. The Lions have more tackles-for-loss on running backs (10) than runs of five or more yards (9) on 1st-and-10 runs in the last six games.

For the year, Detroit’s overall run defense ranks third (tied with Chicago) in total yards per carry allowed (3.7) and fifth in rushing yards per game (88.8).

Best and worst PFF grades for the Lions loss vs the Cowboys

The best and worst PFF graded players for the Detroit Lions in their loss against the Dallas Cowboys

Even after a night’s rest, the sting lingers from the Detroit Lions’ 20-19 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, a defeat that can only be described as tough in every sense of the word.

Considering the competitiveness between two playoff-caliber teams, there were pivotal moments in the game where execution could have been different for the Lions. Unfortunately, the conversation now revolves around the referee error that nullified the potential game-winning two-point conversion for the Lions. Overcoming such challenging situations is tough, but this resilient team is poised to move forward, gearing up to face the Minnesota Vikings next week.

While some Lions delivered masterful performances last night, others may hesitate to review the tape. Here are the best and worst PFF grades for the Lions against the Cowboys.

Takeaways from the Lions Week 17 loss to the Cowboys

Takeaways from the Lions Week 17 loss to the Cowboys, focusing on the game and not the 2-pt. conversion

The Detroit Lions lost a controversial, competitive Week 17 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night. The Lions fell 20-19 in one of the most bizarre end-of-game scenes in NFL history.

Detroit had an interesting game throughout the night. The focus here is on the football game that took place before and around the unbelievable (using that word in its literal definition) officiating mess.

Studs and Duds for the Lions “loss” against the Cowboys

With a heartbreaking defeat, here are the Detroit Lions Studs and Duds in this week’s “loss” against the Dallas Cowboys

In a hard-fought battle that ended with a questionable call, the Detroit Lions fell short, marking their fifth loss of the season against the Dallas Cowboys with a final score of 20-19.

While the offense struggled to find its rhythm, the defense stepped up and showcased a clinic, slowing down the typically dominant Cowboys offense on their home turf. The Lions continued to exhibit their aggressiveness, executing a successful fake punt deep in their territory and opting to go for the win rather than settling for a tie and heading into overtime. Had it not been for a highly controversial call from the referees at a critical juncture in the game, the Lions might still be in the running for the top seed in the NFC.

It’s undeniably a tough situation when the outcome hinges on referee decisions. Nevertheless, let’s delve into this week’s Lions Studs and Duds from their “loss” against the Cowboys.

Look: Referee Brad Allen’s explanation of his controversial 2-pt. conversion call

Look: Referee Brad Allen’s explanation of his controversial 2-pt. conversion call in Dallas after the Lions loss to the Cowboys

The Detroit Lions fell to the Dallas Cowboys, 20-19, in a game that ended with a major controversy over an officiating call by referee Brad Allen. The official called an ineligible touching foul on Lions tackle Taylor Decker despite Decker quite clearly reporting as an eligible receiver before the play.

After every game, the referee is obligated to have a short question-and-answer session with a member of the media.

Here is the full postgame interview session between the designated pool reporter and Allen. Calvin Watkins is the pool reporter, which always comes from the home team and it’s only ever one reporter allowed access to the referee after the game.

That’s his story and Allen is sticking to it.

Lions drop defensive battle in Dallas on controversial call

Lions drop a defensive battle in Dallas on controversial call that went against Detroit

The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys played a doozy of a defensive battle in Week 17. Befitting a game billed as Monday Night Football being played on a Saturday night, very little went as expected.

The Cowboys held on for a 20-19 win that ended in controversy, as most big games between these two teams often do. For a game where the pre-game point line was 53.5, the defenses outplaying the offenses for both teams was wacky.

Detroit’s defense was very good all night except for two specific plays. The first was a disastrous near-miss by linebacker Derrick Barnes, who had a potential safety on a perfectly called blitz. But Barnes didn’t use his arms to try and tackle and instead, Cowboys QB Dak Prescott bounced off and subsequently torched the single coverage on CeeDee Lamb over the top for a 92-yard TD. A potential 5-0 lead for Detroit turned into a 7-3 deficit in one fateful second.

The other bad play from the defense was Prescott’s second touchdown, a strike to Brandin Cooks on a corner route where the Cowboys nicely isolated safety Ifeatu Melifonwu on the shifty wideout in the end zone. Melifonwu played an overall good game, but that’s not a matchup he’s apt to win.

Aidan Hutchinson was a monster all night. He sacked Prescott three times and had two other tackles in the backfield on run plays. Detroit’s run defense was outstanding once again, save for one weird play where Tony Pollard gained 18 yards after a near-miss tackle by both Melifonwu and LB Alex Anzalone. Lamb was in best mode in his own right for Dallas, racking up 227 yards on 13 catches. He was the Cowboys offense almost exclusively all night.

Normally, a defensive effort like that would be enough for Detroit. Not in Dallas. The Lions offense struggled with a combination of poor guard play, ponderous play-calling choices and two ugly Jared Goff interceptions. But still, the Lions had a chance to win.

Goff and the Lions cruised down the field for a quick touchdown after Dallas horribly mismanaged an offensive drive that left far too much time for Detroit. The Lions went for two after Goff’s touchdown throw to Amon-Ra St. Brown brought the score to 20-19. And then chaos took over…

The first attempt was good, a gadget play with Goff throwing to tackle-eligible Taylor Decker. Except the officiating crew ruled that Decker wasn’t eligible after all even though he clearly appeared to report (yeah, it’s complex). Campbell was hellbent on going for two, however. Micah Parsons was offsides on the next attempt, a play where the Cowboys picked off Goff over the middle. That set up a third try.

The final attempt harkened back to the unsavory play-calling choices. Goff threw behind reserve TE James Mitchell on a quick-out route that was short of the end zone. The ball bounced off Mitchell’s hands, but he was extremely unlikely to get into the end zone even if he caught it.

Back to the play to Decker. Video showed Decker clearly reported to referee Brad Allen, as did Dan Skipper and Penei Sewell. But Allen only announced Skipper as reporting eligible. Even Cowboys legend Troy Aikman, on the ABC call, was confused as to why Allen apparently missed it. So was officiating analyst John Parry, a longtime NFL official.

It’s a game-altering call, one that drops the Lions to 11-5. Dallas improves to 11-5 and can still win the NFC East.

Folks are not happy with Ben Johnson’s game plan early against Dallas

Fans and pundits let Johnson have it on social media for the too-complicated plays and calls that play to the strengths of the Cowboys defense and not the Lions offense.

Ben Johnson is one of the hottest names on the potential head coach lists for his offensive creativity as the Lions coordinator. But sometimes, Johnson gets too cute for his own good.

The first few drives against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night are one of those times. Fans and pundits let Johnson have it on social media for the too-complicated plays and calls that play to the strengths of the Cowboys defense and not the Lions offense.

Here’s a sampling of the ones safe enough for children to read.

Lions sign TE Anthony Firkser, elevate defensive vets for Week 17

Lions sign TE Anthony Firkser, elevate defensive vets Bruce Irvin and Tyson Alualu for Week 17

The Detroit Lions filled their vacancy on the 53-man roster by signing tight end Anthony Firkser from the practice squad. The move comes in advance of Saturday night’s game in Dallas against the Cowboys.

The move was necessitated by tight end Brock Wright being out with a hip injury. Firsker played two offensive snaps in Week 16 as a practice squad elevation. The six-year vet was added to the Lions practice squad earlier this season.

Detroit also elevated two veteran defensive players for the game in Dallas. EDGE Bruce Irvin and DT Tyson Alualu will be up on the active roster for the game. It’s Irvin’s third and final practice squad elevation and the first for Alualu.

Also, the Lions confirmed that CB Chase Lucas is back on the team’s practice squad after going unclaimed on waivers.

Lions vs. Cowboys: Last-minute thoughts and final score prediction

Lions vs. Cowboys: Last-minute thoughts and final score prediction for Saturday night’s edition of Monday Night Football

The Detroit Lions playing on Monday Night Football in the NFL’s penultimate weekend is pretty special, even though the MNF game will be played on Saturday night. It’s that oddity that swirls around the morning coffee mug as I anxiously await watching the NFC North champions play a de facto playoff game.

Or will it be a playoff game feel for Detroit? It certainly will for Dallas, what with the Cowboys playing for the NFC East title and the home playoff game(s) that comes with that. For the Lions? Detroit already wrapped up at least the No. 3 seed. The No. 2 and perhaps even No. 1 seed are still within reach, and that should be powerful enough motivation for Dan Campbell and his Lions players.

Why I think the Lions will win

The running game. It’s not just the combination of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, arguably the NFL’s best 1-2 punch at running back. It’s also not just Detroit’s intact offensive line, the top run-blocking unit (per PFF) in the league. It’s also the Cowboys being a defensive front that is designed to rush the passer and only rush the passer. They’re really freaking good at rushing the passer. Against the run? Dallas allows 4.98 yards per carry on 1st-and-10, 31st in the NFL. In the last five games, that figure balloons to 5.8. As long as Ben Johnson remembers to run, the Lions should thrive at it.
The run game, part two. Dallas is a league-average run offense. They’re 12th in yards per game and 15th in yards per carry. Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle aren’t a bad combo. But they’re not exceptional, and their offensive line hasn’t been up to typical Cowboys standards either. When Dallas has to run the ball, it’s not something they can reliably do. That’s especially true in the red zone, where the Cowboys are the NFL’s worst team at scoring touchdowns from inside the 5-yard line.
The Cowboys defense loves to take advantage of careless ball security and panicky quarterbacks to create takeaways. For most of the season, Jared Goff has been smart about avoiding calamitous plays like that. The Lions are tied for 20th in total fumbles, so it’s not a major issue for the offense, either.
For the first time in a long while, the Lions are the hunters in this game. The switch back to predator from being the prey should serve Campbell and the Lions well. The Cowboys don’t exactly have a recent history of handling the “big game” pressure all that well, either. Packers fans recall this about Mike McCarthy as the head coach, too.

What worries me about the Cowboys

Dak Prescott is the exact type of quarterback that gives the Lions defense fits. He’s a mobile QB who looks to throw down the field on the move more than he wants to run, though he can run, too. Prescott is having an MVP-caliber season, throwing with great accuracy and many fewer mistakes than he’s done in recent years. He used to be a guy that pressure would rattle into bad throws. This year, Prescott has learned the value of just taking the sack and living for the next down.
Prescott is one of the NFL’s best deep throwers, and he’s got some good downfield receivers in CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks and even the best TE you’ve never heard of, Jake Ferguson. Detroit’s biggest defensive weakness is defending the deep pass — and that’s with top CB Cam Sutton healthy. Sutton is questionable with a toe injury, which could lead to downfield struggles even if he plays. Detroit’s black hole at outside CB opposite Sutton and issues with safeties understanding deeper coverage responsibilities are a very bad matchup against Dallas.
Micah Parsons and the Cowboys deep pass rush can make life miserable if the opponent has to throw. Quarterbacks like Goff, who lack mobility or quickness and savvy in the in-pocket movement department, typically don’t fare well against their quick pressure. It feeds into a playmaking secondary featuring Daron Bland, who has already set the NFL record for pick-sixes in a season. The Cowboys defense will gamble to try and get the big play, knowing that even if they give up a big play, their offense can usually cover up those misses. It’s wildly empowering for players like Parsons, Bland and dynamic young Markquese Bell, guys who live to make the highlight reel even if they don’t do the down-to-down play all that effectively.
The Cowboys special teams are fantastic, from dangerous return man Kavontae Turpin to stellar rookie kicker Brandon Aubrey, who is a perfect 33-of-33 on field goals. That includes 8-for-8 from beyond 50 yards. Punter Bryan Anger is having a stronger, more consistent year than Detroit’s Jack Fox, too — in part thanks to more reliable coverage units that do not blow assignments. If it comes down to a field position or field goal battle, Dallas has a major advantage over Detroit’s occasionally great but often average special teams.

Final score prediction

This is a tough one. Before the season, when going through the schedule, this was the easiest loss to predict on the entire Lions calendar. It still is, unfortunately. While the Lions’ strengths match up nicely with what Dallas doesn’t do well, the opposite is even truer in this matchup. Cowboys 33, Lions 28.