The Detroit Lions were pushed to the brink of playoff elimination on Sunday after their 29-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers ended in controversial fashion.
The result had massive implications for the NFC North standings, as the Chicago Bears officially secured a playoff berth following the Lions’ defeat.Â
Chicago, who stunned the Green Bay Packers 22-16 in overtime on Saturday, now hold a one-and-a-half game lead in the division with just two weeks remaining.Â
However, things could have been very different in the Lions’ game on Sunday, had it not been for a contentious referee decision in the final play of the game.Â
In a finish that left the Motor City in an uproar, quarterback Jared Goff’s apparent game-winning touchdown on the final play was wiped off the board by a late flag.
Officials ruled that star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown committed an offensive pass interference and confirmed that the game had ended and that the Steelers had won.
The Detroit Lions were left furious after a contentious penalty call ruled out a game-winning touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday evening
Officials ruled that star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown committed an offensive pass interference
St. Brown appeared to push off Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey before tossing a lateral back to Goff, who scrambled into the end zone.
The home crowd erupted before being quickly silenced by a huddle of officials that lasted several minutes before the penalty was announced.Â
It was the second time in the final sixty seconds that the Lions had a touchdown negated by officials – after rookie Isaac TeSlaa was called for a pass interference just moments prior.Â
The back-to-back calls sparked a wave of fury from Lions fans and the team itself.Â
One user on X wrote: ‘The Lions got robbed. If the refs did something like this in a Brazilian soccer game, they wouldn’t have walked out of the stadium’.Â
‘Lions robbed in plain sight,’ another wrote. ‘No one can defend this absurd call in Detroit. Wow!’
One user, who posted a clip of the incident, wrote: ‘This potentially robbed the #Lions of a playoff berth and the division….’Â
‘The @nfl is so rigged lmfao. The @lions won twice there! Refs Called Pass interference both game winning touchdowns [laughing emojis] what a joke,’ one user wrote.
Fans were quick to claim that the Lions had been ‘robbed’ by officials after the contentious call
Meanwhile, a frustrated Jared Goff said after the game:Â ‘That’s a bad call.
‘We know the percentages. We know we’re not eliminated. We know some things need to go our way.’Â
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said post-game:Â ‘I was a part of a game 13 years ago that had this kind of chaos. There were some replacement referees though.’Â
Rodgers drew reference to the infamous ‘Fail Mary’ incident back in 2012, which involved a controversial Seahawks touchdown on a simultaneous catch during a 14-12 win over the Packers.
The lack of a pass interference penalty and the ruling of a touchdown became the source of immediate controversy and saw the NFL and NFL Referees Association reach an agreement to end the referee lockout as a result.
According to reports, the Lions now have just an eight percent chance of making the playoffs. Â
The loss is a devastating blow for Detroit (8-7), who have now dropped two straight games for the first time in over three years.Â
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Furious Detroit Lions fans claim the NFL is ‘rigged’ after two game-winning touchdowns are ruled out by officials