Refs Involved In Controversial Lions Call Were Already ‘Under Scrutiny’ By NFL Over Missed Calls This Season

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The refs involved in the controversial call at the end of the Lions-Cowboys game were reportedly already under scrutiny by the NFL over missed calls this season.

On Saturday night, ref Brad Allen called an ineligible receiver penalty on the Detroit Lions during a crucial two-point conversion late in the game.

ESPN replays show that Decker was talking to the referee before the replay, which implies that he was trying to report as an eligible receiver.

Decker insists that he reported, but the refs believed his teammate Dan Skipper had reported instead.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed that the same referee crew involved in tonight’s play was the same crew that was criticized for missing a crucial pass interference penalty late in the Chiefs-Packers game a few weeks ago.

Via ESPN

The officiating crew that did not call a blatant and potentially game-deciding pass interference penalty during Sunday night’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers game missed a similar call one week earlier in Atlanta on a play that harkened back to one of the most controversial non-calls in NFL history.

The crew that officiated the Packers-Chiefs game, led by referee Brad Allen, also handled the Saints-Falcons game on Nov. 26 in Atlanta, where there was another controversial missed defensive pass interference call.

Allen’s crew will be under increased scrutiny when they officiate Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium between the Texans and Jets. Many, including the NFL, will be watching to see if there’s another decision by Allen’s crew that draws the ire of teams the way it did the past two weeks.