Officiating Controversy Hits NFL Again As Referee Makes Questionable Call Against Taylor Decker

A deja vu moment happened with the Detroit Lions fans on Sunday. This season has seen multiple officiating calls’ controversy, and once again it hit the NFL in Detroit. And making it more interesting, this call was again made against Lions OT Taylor Decker.

Two weeks ago in Dallas, there was a lot of talk about Decker. He faced controversy when officials stated that he didn’t report as eligible before catching a potential game-winning two-point conversion with only 23 seconds left. And now in the wildcard game against the Los Angeles Rams, Decker faced another officiating mishap.

Controversial call against Taylor Decker once again!

During the Lions vs Rams game, in the second quarter with just over a minute left, Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker was wrongly penalized for a false start on fourth-and-5. This controversial call happened when he reached the Rams defender crossing into the neutral zone. According to the viral footage, Decker was seen putting his hand on the chest of Ernest Jones. But he was not seen moving until he touched the defender. It happened when multiple Rams defenders broke the line.

As per NFL reporter, Ari Meirov, “Everyone in the stadium realizes this should be a neutral-zone penalty.” Although it seemed like a chance for Jared Goff and his team to score more points before halftime, the official’s call led to disappointment among Lions fans. A flag was thrown by referee Craig Wrolstad on Decker. As a result, the Lions had to punt the ball to the Rams, who then ran out the clock to finish the first half. The Lions fans were upset on the call, as they were seen booing the referee in Ford Field. Nevertheless, at that time, the Lions were ahead of the Rams with 21-17 in the third quarter.

And now as the game is over, the Lions have made it to the NFL’s history book.

The Lions won a playoff game after 32 years!

When the Lions started off with a win this season against the Chiefs, they showed everyone that they aren’t an underdog team this time. Consequently, they now have reached the divisional round.

Last time the Lions won a playoff game was on January 5, 1992 against the Cowboys with a score of 38-6. And now after 32 years, the team has clinched historic victory in the wildcard game by defeating the Rams with a score 24-23. This was the longest streak in NFL history with the second being 22 years of Dolphins not winning the playoff games since December 30, 2000.

Read more: “NFL Got Too Cheap”: Aaron Rodgers Weighs In on Controversial Officiating During Lions vs. Cowboys

The Lions will now be facing either Tampa Bay or Philadelphia next weekend in their divisional round.

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