The NFL 2023 season has been plagued with Referee controversies and last night’s Detroit-Dallas game raised it to Twilight Zone levels

This was a game between two Super Bowl contenders playing for the second seed in the NFC. The second seed means an extra home game in the playoffs. Dallas came into the game with a 7-0 home record, averaging 40 points a game and beating opponents by an average of 24 points per home game.

The Lions, despite an 11-4 records were given little chance of winning the game. Yet with only a few seconds left in the game they had just scored a touchdown and we’re going for two points to win the game.

Taylor Decker, number 68, before the play, went to the referee and told him that he would be an eligible receiver for the play, Coach Dan Campbell had told the referees before the game that he might use this trick play during the game. The play happened. Decker caught the pass. THE LIONS WIN!!!

Not so fast my friend. A flag is thrown. Illegal touching. Five yard penalty. The referee says that number 68 Decker did not report in as eligible. Rather it was number 70, Skipper, who reported in as eligible.

Now look at the image above and you will see number 68 talking to the referee while number 70 is ten yards away. The referee screwed up. BIG TIME.

It will be interesting to see how the NFL responds to this horrendous blunder today. As Ricky Ricardo would say ‘you got a lot of splaining to do Lucy’.