Detroit, MI
NFL blaming Lions for 2-point fiasco, won’t change reporting process
If you were hoping for a full-fledged apology from the NFL for the fiasco that was the end of the Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys game, I’m going to need you to sit down for a moment. Because the NFL is going in the exact opposite direction.
Per Pro Football Talk, the NFL has no intention of changing the process of players reporting as eligible. The reasoning why? They’re essentially blaming the Lions for confusing the officials. Mike Florio has more:
“Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the NFL does not plan to change the procedure for players reporting as eligible. The league views the situation as an effort by the Lions to engage in deception and gamesmanship that backfired.”
That’s right. The NFL is going full heel and blaming the Lions for the clear officiating error.
Their argument is, essentially, that by sending three offensive linemen towards the ref—in an effort to mask their intentions from the Cowboys—they set up head official Brad Allen to fail in a loud and chaotic environment. After the game, Allen was insistent that it was Dan Skipper (referred to as No. 70) who reported as eligible, not Taylor Decker (No. 68).
“On this particular play, No. 70, who had reported during the game a couple of times, reported to me as eligible,” Allen said per the post-game pool report. “Then he lined up at the tackle position. So, actually, he didn’t have to report at all. No. 68, who ended up going downfield and touching the pass, did not report. Therefore, he is an ineligible touching a pass that goes beyond the line, which makes it a foul. So, the issue is No. 70 did report, No. 68 did not.”
Both Skipper and Decker refute Allen’s recollection of the events. Skipper was adamant both in the moment and in the locker room that he didn’t say a single word to Allen. While Decker said he did. Video certainly does show Decker approaching and talking to Allen, while Skipper was running onto the field late and was unable to approach the official—though he had been the one commonly reporting as eligible in this game.
Every play needs to be reviewed. Decker reported, ARSB was off the line, Sewell is on, JR is off. Skipper runs in ad the ref already left. There’s no way he reported…..the ref points at him as he runs in but that’s to signal he’s coming in. pic.twitter.com/ND0iWkw8si
— Timothy Ray Brandon (@TBrandon84) December 31, 2023
As for the “deception” that the league is now blaming for the incident, Lions fullback Jason Cabinda explained on Twitter how that kind of procedure from the Lions is both commonplace and essential for the play’s success:
Gotta be one of the laziest takes I’ve seen. Anyone who really knows football and knows about plays like this knows that sending only one OL to the referee for a 2 pt conversion where the defense is stagnant and can see everything going on is like telling on yourself pre-snap. https://t.co/l0TVAmBknY
— Jason Cabinda (@jasoncabinda) January 1, 2024
Additionally, the Lions took an extra step to avoid confusing the ref by letting Allen’s crew know about the play prior to the game.
“I explained everything pre-game to a tee,” Campbell said. “I did that.”
Regardless, it’s not surprising to see the NFL failing to take ownership of a clear mistake by officials. They’ve got a shield to protect. That said, per Adam Schefter, Allen’s crew is expected to get downgraded for their performance on Saturday night and they aren’t likely to officiate in the postseason either.
In my opinion, Jason McCourty absolutely nails the whole situation here:
Chickens and geese that went missing from a local nonprofit’s Detroit site were found in the backyard of a nearby home, the director of operations said Wednesday.
The Full Circle Foundation, a Grosse Point Park-based nonprofit, said more than a dozen chickens and geese were believed stolen from a chicken coop on Detroit’s east side that also features the Full Circle Edible Garden.
The nonprofit provides training and job opportunities for young people with special needs.
Neighbors who learned from news reports about the missing flock found the “chickens were being held in the backyard of a vacant home not far from the Full Circle Edible Garden,” said Stephanie DiVirgil, director of operations. She said Ribbon Farm 4-H owns the flock.
“The homeowner was contacted, and she reached out to Full Circle to confirm,” said DiVirgil. “We were able to retrieve all of the chickens and geese that were found on the property, 19 in total.”
The foundation and Ribbon Farms 4-H are working to secure the site, including cameras, fencing and lights.
“We will likely start a fundraising campaign to have these items installed,” DiVirgil said. “We’ve gotten amazing support from the community, including offers to help pay for these additional security measures.”
DETROIT (WXYZ) — Human remains were found in a furnace of an home on Detroit’s west side, the Detroit Police Department tells us.
The remains was found by an individual working on the home in the 5200 block of S Clarendon just after 11 a.m.
Anyone with information can call 313-596-2260 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-SpeakUp.
Stay with WXYZ.com for updates on this developing story.
The Detroit Police Department is investigating after a 5-year-old child was shot in the arm near a park on Tuesday.
The shooting happened at about 8:50 p.m. near the Fargo-Oaklfield Playground on the city’s west side. Police Chief Todd Bettison says the child was in front of his home riding a bike with his father supervising at the time of the shooting.
Bettison says an individual at the park fired multiple shots, striking the child. He says the boy’s father reported hearing shots and the child falling from his bike.
Bettison says the child is expected to be OK.
Bettison says the person appears to have been firing shots randomly, which he calls “problematic.” He says a person of interest is described as possibly between 15 and 16 years old and wearing a mask. He says the person is known to frequent the area.
“When you fire a weapon, what goes up must go down,” Bettison said. “To parents and everyone, know where your kids are. Juveniles should not have guns, and whether you’re an adult or a child, you should not be firing a weapon inside of the city limits.”
Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield released a statement, saying in part, “By the grace of God, this young boy will recover from his injury and is on his way home from the hospital. With that said, this incident was senseless and could have had a much more tragic ending.
“Every child in Detroit deserves to feel safe riding their bike, playing outside, and simply being a child in their own neighborhood. We cannot accept a reality where our children are placed in harm’s way because someone chose to recklessly fire a gun.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-Speak Up.
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