A new audio clip has surfaced from the ending of the Detroit Lions-Dallas Cowboys Saturday night game, and it should at least clear up some of the controversy.
With 23 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the Lions scored a touchdown to cut the Dallas lead to one point. Rather than kick the extra point, Dan Campbell called for the Lions to attempt a two-point conversion.
Jared Goff found Taylor Decker in the end zone for two, but officials flagged the latter for illegal touching. Apparently, Decker had failed to report himself as eligible before the play.
Decker and Goff were both adamant in their post-game pressers that he did report eligible. But as you can hear in the two clips below, referee Brad Allen clearly states that only No. 70 (Dan Skipper) reported eligible.
The first clip shows the Dallas defense also being informed that Skipper had reported eligible:
Here’s audio from @DallasCowboys radio broadcast on @1053thefan:
Referee Brad Allen announces to the entire stadium & tells Dallas defense prior to the Lions 2-point try that #70 Dan Skipper reported as eligible, no mention of #68 Taylor Decker. pic.twitter.com/4fodu6puLf— Bill Jones (@CBS11BillJones) December 31, 2023
Here is audio of the #Lions OL reporting in as eligible. You can hear #70 reports as the eligible receiver in the back.
pic.twitter.com/Vbg12xRfyt— NFLCentral (@NFLTrenchBattle) December 31, 2023
The Lions’ final two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, with Goff’s pass to James Mitchell falling incomplete. Dallas recovered the onside kick to hold on for a 20-19 victory.