Well, Detroit Lions fans have seen this all too many times in the past: a loss snatched from the jaws of victory. It could be a crazy play, a mental mistake, or a little-known rule. Despite it being ingrained in the team’s lore, every time it happens, it still comes as a surprise.
And it certainly doesn’t do anything to help their long-time suffering.
On Sunday, it was a review that took a Golden Tate touchdown pass off the board because his knee was down before the ball crossed the plane of the goal line. There were only eight seconds remaining, and since the clock was running at the time of the incorrect TD call and the Lions had no timeouts, there was an automatic 10-second runoff. What looked like a 33-30 win and 3-0 start to the year instead became a 30-26 loss to the Falcons and a 2-1 record.
First, here is the play:
TD Tate! Comeback Kid does it again!! Stafford!! u make the call???#Lions #LionPride #DETvsATL pic.twitter.com/lCbxzjbYCf
— 🆔️ℹeH🅰️®️d 🆔️eT®️🅾️ℹt (@LesGndaD) September 24, 2017
Now, let’s check out some of the post-game reactions from the Lion coaches and players, starting with head coach Jim Caldwell:
Jim Caldwell on the last play in loss to Falcons: "They ruled it correctly, and that’s the way it is. Our guys fought hard."
— DetroitSportsNation (@detsportsnation) September 24, 2017
Quarterback Matthew Stafford on his last pass:
Stafford on the loss: "It’s not fun. Obviously I wish I would’ve thrown it a foot higher, maybe help GT stay up. It’s a game of inches."
— DetroitSportsNation (@detsportsnation) September 24, 2017
And on what his offense could have done better:
More Stafford on the offense: "we have to convert…when our defense gets us turnovers we have to put some points on the board.”
— DetroitSportsNation (@detsportsnation) September 24, 2017
Eric Ebron still isn’t quite sure what happened:
Eric Ebron thought ending: “I don’t know. Just as confused as everybody, but we’ll get in there tomorrow, Caldwell will explain it to us."
— DetroitSportsNation (@detsportsnation) September 24, 2017
Defensive tackle Akeem Spence watched it from the sideline, and thought they had won. Hear his reaction in this short report from Tori Petry at DetroitLions.com:
Lions players describe the feelings of the "heart-wrenching" #ATLvsDET end – hear them react in my postgame report: https://t.co/hlzvdrKYOn pic.twitter.com/ch6OkEzULf
— Tori Petry (@sportstori) September 24, 2017
Receiver Golden Tate thought it was a game-winning TD:
Golden Tate "Immediately after the play I didn’t think anything of it. I thought touchdown, you know, touchdown, and that was it."
— DetroitSportsNation (@detsportsnation) September 24, 2017
But then, just like the fans, Tate was feeling the pain when the call was reversed:
Golden Tate on ending: "It hurts to lose one like that at home, especially when your defense just kept coming up with turnovers, it hurts. "
— DetroitSportsNation (@detsportsnation) September 24, 2017
Coach Caldwell was asked if the rule should be changed:
Caldwell on changing the rule "In hindsight, we can complain all we want, but they administered the rule exactly the way that it’s written.”
— DetroitSportsNation (@detsportsnation) September 24, 2017
Glover Quin wrapped it up pretty nicely:
Glover Quin on losing in the last second: "You win some, you lose some. It's the NFL. It happens and you’ve just got to live with it.”
— DetroitSportsNation (@detsportsnation) September 24, 2017
And finally, the Lions official Twitter feed had this not-so-cryptic message……..
LOOK: Detroit Lions tweet not-so-cryptic message following screw-job #Lions #DetroitVsEverybody #OnePride https://t.co/iYIhK9rYEe
— DetroitSportsNation (@detsportsnation) September 24, 2017
….as well as a quick shutdown of former NFL VP of officiating Dean Blandino:
Clock would have run out? 😂
Our offense covered 27 yards to get a snap off in 7 seconds at Minnesota last year. https://t.co/GbGlprZt9U
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) September 24, 2017
Here’s hoping that the Lions will stop finding themselves on the wrong end of controversy that robs them of much needed victories moving forward from here on out.
