The NFL world is sounding off on the egregious officiating call that took place during the Detroit Lions contest against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night.
Official Brad Allen is the main official being heavily scrutinized for incorrectly assuming Dan Skipper, who had been reporting as eligible earlier in the game, went to him and reported as being eligible late in the game.
Video shows Taylor Decker reporting, after being instructed by quarterback Jared Goff.
ESPN analyst and former NFL head coach Rex Ryan did not mince a single word when he stated how unacceptable it is to blame players in this situation.
“The players did exactly what they were supposed to do. Every one of them. Right from Jared Goff going over and telling Decker, ‘Go report.’ He went right over there and reported, with that nod of the official. I think the official assumed 70 (Dan Skipper) was, because he was reporting all day. That’s a plan, by the way. Where Dan Campbell failed is that he assumed that the official would’ve got it right. Why? Because he went over it, specifically, with him before the game,” said Ryan. “That’s what you do. The officials come in, you go over every trick play scenario and all that stuff with the officials before the game.”
“This is a huge mistake. But the thing that bothers me the most is that we’re putting blame on the players. Stop,” said Ryan. “The players did everything right. So quit blaming, quit covering somebody’s butt and tell it the way it is. Be a man and take responsibility. It’s BS. And this thing right here, ‘Oh it’s just a game.’ Yeah, it’s a game that may very well cost them the second seed and possibly the first seed.
“And it is a huge difference having to play on the road instead of playing at home. John Parry, to me, is one of the best officials of all time. We’re lucky to have him here, the guy’s great, and in his eyes, he sees it a different way than I see it and so be it,” Ryan continued. “I’m telling you right now, as a football coach, I know exactly what the hell happened.”
