The referees’ decision not to award the Detroit Lions a safety against the Dallas Cowboys enraged NFL fans on social media Thursday night.
It was one of a number of questionable calls made by Shawn Hochuli and his crew throughout the game.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was tackled into the end zone by Lions defenders during the first quarter of the game at Ford Field.
Hochuli did not give it as a safety at first, believing that the ball was out of the end zone when contact was initiated.
However, replays initially looked as though they were wrong and fans could not believe they had made such a blatant mistake.
But it was actually the correct decision, as explained by former NFL referee and Amazon Prime’s rules analyst Terry McAulay.
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The referees’ decision not to award the Lions a safety against the Cowboys enraged NFL fans
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Lions coach Dan Campbell watches on as his Lions team beat the Cowboys at Ford Field
After Amazon’s broadcast had returned from a commercial break, McAulay showed another angle that had not been previously aired.
‘This is the angle New York used to change it and it does appear from this, straight down the line, that the entire ball is out of the end zone.
‘So, given this angle, they did get it correct.’
Fans were convinced referees made the wrong decision and went to social media to vent their fury.
Former NFL star Shannon Sharpe was among the skeptics, posting on X: ‘That’s a safety. Move it along’.
One fan posted: ‘One of the worst reversals I’ve ever seen. Absolutely a safety’.
Another added: ‘Clearly a safety in any non corrupt sport’.
‘Such a bad call. That is CLEARLY a safety,’ another claimed.
A fourth asked: ‘In what world is that not a safety? Not even debatable’
Fortunately the decision did not come back to haunt the Lions and proved irrelevant to the scoreboard.
Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored a hat-trick of touchdowns to propel his team to a 44-30 victory.
Defeat was a major blow to the Cowboys’ playoff hopes after they forced themselves briefly back into contention with wins over the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs.
In another blow, the Cowboys lost star receive CeeDee Lamb to a concussion during the second half.
Detroit Lions’ Playoff Chances Just Changed Again
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The Detroit Lions beat the Dallas Cowboys in Week 14, but there’s more to their playoff picture than that game.
No matter what happened during the NFL games on Sunday, December 7, it was a good week for the Detroit Lions. The team played the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, December 4, on Thursday Night Football, and they silenced the doubters with a 44-30 final score.
Now, the Lions have a record of 8-5, and their playoff hopes are very alive. While this game was crucial for both the Lions and Cowboys, it was a tad more important to Detroit, because they, in general, had a better shot of making the postseason before Thursday.
Well, on Sunday, a very important game in the chemistry of the NFC North took place, and that was the Chicago Bears up against the Green Bay Packers. These two teams are on top of the NFC North, and the Lions are behind them at No. 3.
On Sunday, the Packers beat the Bears, 28-21, and that changed things for not only the Bears and Packers but also for the Lions.
NFL Research on the Detroit Lions’ Playoff Picture
Following the win over the Dallas Cowboys, the Detroit Lions have a 54% chance of making the playoffs. That’s hasn’t changed, but the NFC North picture has altered after the Bears and Packers game.
Since Green Bay won, the Lions are just a game back of Chicago, and that adds to the drama of the two teams having their Week 18 game against each other. Right now, the Packers have a 94% chance of making the playoffs, and the Bears are at 64%.
What’s interesting is that these teams play each other again in two weeks, and that’s when the real magic happens for the Lions. If the biggest goal is for the Lions to make the playoffs, the Lions want one of those franchises to lose both games.
So, after the Packers win, those who root for the Lions should also cheer for them in two weeks, albeit painful.
Of course, the Lions will take on one of the top teams in the NFC on Sunday, December 14, in Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams. That’s going to be a difficult game to win, but if the Lions do it, that will greatly improve their postseason hopes.
Playoff Hopes Around the NFL
So, looking at the rest of the NFC North, the Minnesota Vikings had a lopsided win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday, December 7, ending in a 31-0 final score.
It a big win for the Vikings, and it gives them a 5-8 record for the season. But, they still have less than a 1% chance of making the playoffs.
As for teams that are on target to make the postseason no matter what, the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars have the highest chances of making the playoffs coming out of Week 14.
Both the Patriots and Broncos have more than a 99% chance of making the postseason, and the Seahawks are at 97%.
The Patriots, Broncos, Seahawks and Jags are all having strong seasons, and it’s looking like it won’t be a repeat of the same championship game that viewers always see.
The teams who are already out of playoff contention are the Jets, Raiders, Saints, Browns, Falcons, Titans, Cardinals, Giants and Commanders. So, while it may seem easy to talk playoffs, it’s really not, and teams are already locked in, either way.
Anne Erickson is an award-winning reporter for Heavy Sports covering the NFL, NBA and college football. Anne Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and additional sports, and her work has been published via ESPN, Fox Sports and more.
She has interviewed some of the biggest names in sports, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Erickson also hosts several podcasts and is a Detroit-based radio host. More about Anne Erickson
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