Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
It looked like the Lions had opened up the scoring against the Chiefs on Sunday after running a trick play that resulted in Jared Goff hauling in a touchdown pass. However, it was overturned due to an illegal procedure penalty that’s become a hot topic of conversation now that Dan Campbell has contradicted the ref who claimed the league didn’t direct the officials to throw the flag.
The NFL has come a long way when it comes to ensuring the officials who oversee its games make the right call as often as possible, but fans are all too aware their performance can still leave a lot to be desired despite the technology and resources at their disposal.
There might eventually be a day when the NFL figures out a way to essentially remove the human element from the equation when it comes to officiating. Unfortunately, we’re a long way away from that future becoming a reality, which means we still have to grapple with the inherently fallible nature of the guys in stripes.
That brings us to a play that transpired in the first quarter of Sunday night’s game between the Chiefs and the Lions where Detroit seemingly took a 7-0 lead thanks to some trickery that resulted in a touchdown. However, it was wiped off the board due to an illegal motion penalty that may or may not have been called after the NFL intervened.
Dan Campbell claims he was told the NFL phoned in to overturn Jared Goff’s touchdown catch even though referee Craig Wrolstad denied there was any outside interference
The play in question saw Jared Goff line up under center before going in motion to his left before the ball was snapped to David Montgomery. The running back then fired it to the QB, who caught it and punched the ball into the end zone.
It took around a minute and a half, but the officials eventually threw a flag after determining Goff was guilty of illegal motion for failing to pause after establishing himself as a back, which nullified the touchdown and led to the Lions settling for a field goal after the ball was moved back five yards.
It’s worth noting that particular penalty is not something that can be looked at upon review, and after the game, referee Craig Wrolstad said the flag was thrown after the officials huddled to discuss the mechanics, specifically noting, “We did not have any assistance from Kansas City or New York.”
The claim that the NFL did not get involved was directly contradicted by Lions head coach Dan Campbell, and during a conversation with 97.1 The Ticket on Wednesday, he curtly confirmed that an official informed him the crew got an assist from someone watching in the league office.
Did NFL overstep boundaries to overturn Lions TD? And then lie about it? https://t.co/vez55x5Vcq pic.twitter.com/IpY7py73fc
— 97.1 The Ticket: (@971theticketxyt) October 15, 2025
In theory, it’s good that the right call was ultimately made, and you could argue the four points the Lions sacrificed as a result of the TD being overturned were a moot point in their 30-17 loss to Kansas City.
With that said, the NFL certainly isn’t doing itself any favors when it comes to addressing concerns about a lack of transparency as far as officiating is concerned, and it’s easy to understand why Campbell (and Lions fans) are not thrilled with the optics of this situation.