Brad Allen and his officiating posse might have fumbled another game-altering moment. Yet the zebras stood steadfast in their decision post-game. Talk about a pigskin pandemonium! The Detroit Lions concocted a cunning play: a sneaky two-point conversion pass to the colossal 318-pound tackle, Taylor Decker. This strategic maneuver could have scripted a triumphant tale in the Saturday night saga. But it didn’t.
Had it not been for the yellow flag dancing on the field, flagging the playback to the drawing board due to a nitpicky technicality, the Lions could’ve gone home with the win. But that maneuver did turn out to be a triumphant one for their opponents. The Dallas Cowboys emerged from the clash with a razor-thin 20-19 win, but not without tossing an extra helping of officiating turmoil into the playbook.
Brad Allen’s referee trilogy: A primetime drama in three acts
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In a bizarre trilogy of primetime gridiron dramas, Brad Allen has found himself at the center of controversy thrice this season. MLFootball took to the social media platform ‘X,’ dropping the revelation with the caption, “AWFUL: Tonight’s head ref Brad Allen has called 3 primetime games this year, all have ended HORRIBLY. “
AWFUL: Tonight’s head ref Brad Allen has called 3 primetime games this year, all have ended HORRIBLY.
He lost the #Lions the game tonight.
He cost the #Chiefs a win vs the #Packers by not calling the pass interference with MVS.
He called 10 penalties against the #Dolphins… pic.twitter.com/fc0fPCiKNh
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) December 31, 2023
Diving into the debacle, let’s rewind to the three high-stakes matchups – Lions vs Cowboys, Chiefs vs Packers, and Dolphins vs Eagles. The epicenter of the storm was the Lions’ clash against the Cowboys, which witnessed Allen navigating through a murky he-said, he-said situation. The plot thickened as Allen addressed the Cowboys defense and the raucous crowd at A&T Stadium. His declaration: tackle Dan Skipper, not Decker, was the eligible tackle for the pivotal play.
However, the Lions argue that Skipper never established his eligibility status, suggesting that somewhere in the officiating chaos, Allen took a wrong turn. Cue the instant replay theater. Decker and Penei Sewell approached Allen amidst the huddle, only for Skipper to come charging in as the other linemen made a tactical retreat. The verbal exchange between the players and what was acknowledged by Allen remains shrouded in uncertainty. One thing’s for certain – the narratives on the field and in the ref’s booth are as mismatched as a poorly thrown Hail Mary.
Read More: Decoded: The NFL’s Officiating Problem and The Rampant Increase In In-Game Fines
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Brad Allen is in hot water after his missed calls streak
Brad Allen’s crew is currently basking in the less-than-flattering limelight following a duo of pass interference oversights in back-to-back weeks. Week 13 added another layer to the narrative. Sunday night, the Chiefs are in pursuit, and the prolific Marquez Valdes-Scantling is sent into oblivion by Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine. The stakes were sky-high – Kansas City driving, Green Bay gripping an eight-point lead. Yet, amidst the crunch of cleats and the roar of the crowd, a consequential moment went unheeded.
The Dolphins, engaged in a gridiron tussle with the Eagles, found themselves swimming against a current of penalties. A staggering 10 penalties were handed down to the aquatic dynamos, while the Birds remained spotless with a penalty count of zero. In a league where parity is prized, such a stark contrast raises eyebrows and amplifies the chorus of calls for officiating scrutiny. Sure, the NFL is a high-stakes business, but when the calls start shaping the narrative, it’s not just business—it’s a gridiron saga with real-world repercussions.
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