ALLEN PARK >> It’s over and nothing can be done now.
That is how Lions coach Jim Caldwell is approaching the officiating situation that cost the Detroit Lions a chance to win the game at Seattle on Monday night.
With 1:51 remaining, Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright batted a ball out of the back of the end zone after Kam Chancellor had pounded it out of the outstretched hands of Calvin Johnson.
It was ruled a touchback with the Seahawks getting possession.
According to NFL rules it should have been a penalty with the Lions getting the ball back inside the 1-yard line on first-and-goal. Back judge Greg Wilson had a clear view of the play. He said he didn’t think Wright’s action was overt. Not acceptable. Wright clearly batted the ball away with his right hand.
Another NFL officiating fiasco in the books. Another one that was costly for the Lions.
“As we looked at it from sideline we saw obviously Calvin with the ball in his hand, ball comes out, I actually saw a young man bat the ball out,” Caldwell said at his presser on Tuesday. “So you can see Buddy Horton (one of the officials) on the side waving his flag in his hand, he’s got it clearly in his hand. I knew there was a discussion going on there in terms of the rule and how it works. Once they figured they had it ironed out, obviously it was out of our control, it had to be reviewed and looked at by them from upstairs. Once it was completed we had to look at ways to make certain we got the ball back,” Caldwell added.
He did confirm that he had talked Tuesday with Dean Blandino, the NFL’s vice president of officiating. He said the context of their discussion was privileged. Blandino said on the NFL Network it was a subjective call, but he saw it as a penalty and thought the ball should have gone back to the Lions.
“You can take the situation and drag it out through the week where your players are more focused in on that particular play then on the opposition that we have to face in a few days in a very, very good Arizona team,” said Caldwell who appeared calm on the outside.
“Or you can act woe is me, bad call, that went against us, look at all those kind of things and that will distract you and you’ll get your ears kicked in come Sunday afternoon,” the coach added.
He doesn’t plan to let that happen. Caldwell said he will tell his players not to discuss the play this week with reporters.
“We can’t be hanging on something that happened a night ago that we can do nothing about, There’s nothing we can do about it,” Caldwell said.
The coach did get in one dig at the officiating. When asked about players and coaches not knowing the rule, he said, “Obviously, officials that don’t know the rules as well.”
He is taking the right approach.
If Caldwell whined about it all week, then he would be criticized for not focusing on the task at hand – getting the 0-4 Lions prepared for their next chance at a win.
That doesn’t mean this should be a dead issue.
It’s unacceptable for a multi-billion dollar business like the NFL to get a call wrong that affects the outcome of the game and hence the season for both teams involved.
It’s not the first time the LIons have been victims. In fact it’s happened now in two of their last five games going back to the playoff game on Jan. 4 at Dallas.
The Lions’ offense had a chance to gain momentum and possibly win the game when Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens, who didn’t turn his head, was called for pass interference on Brandon Pettigrew on a third-and-1 at Dallas’ 46 with 8:25 to go. Then the official inexplicably picked up the flag with no explanation. So instead of converting the third down it was fourth-and-1. The Lions had eight minutes left, but it was clear the wind had been knocked out of their sails.
Then on Thanksgiving in 2012 Texans running back Justin Forsett was tackled and was down on the field, but there was no whistle so he got up and finished his 81-yard run for a touchdown. The Lions defensive players thought he was down (and rightfully so) so they didn’t chase him. Coach Jim Schwartz threw the red challenge flag which was good for a 15-yard penalty. Also because the play was reviewable, the penalty meant that the Hitches play could not be reviewed. The Lions lost 34-31. That rule was changed so now if a coach throws a red flag on a reviewable call, it will still be reviewed.
Then in the 2010 opener at Chicago, Shaun Hill’s pass to Calvin Johnson in the end zone was ruled a touchdown on the field. But replay showed he didn’t complete the process. Before the next season language was added to that rule to clarify what constitutes a catch. It’s also known as the Calvin Johnson rule.
Here’s a thought, first proposed by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.
Instead of waiting until there’s an embarrassing call, the NFL should allow more plays to be reviewable. New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has suggested in the past that all plays be reviewable.
Monday night’s embarrassment did not have to happen, but the call was not eligible to be reviewed. It’s not certain the Lions would have won the game, but they had started that final drive on their own 9-yard line and were moving with ease. They were down 13-10. Matthew Stafford had completed all his passes on that drive. They would have had three chances from inside the 1-yard line for a game-winning touchdown and at least a chance to tie it with a field goal.
It’s over. It’s done for the Lions.
However, it’s still an issue for the NFL. It should be fixed before another team falls victim.
