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The Detroit Lions are 2025 contenders, but one bizarre moment from Week 6 against the Kansas City Chiefs refuses to fade. A trick play that could’ve been a highlight of the season, quarterback Jared Goff catching a touchdown pass from David Montgomery, instead turned into one of the year’s most talked-about officiating debates.
Initially ruled a touchdown, the play was reversed for an illegal motion penalty, wiping six points off the board and leaving Lions fans and head coach Dan Campbell fuming.
After the game, Campbell said he believed the decision “came from New York,” referring to the NFL’s Art McNally GameDay Central, the league’s real-time replay command center. But according to the NFL, that simply didn’t happen.
Troy Vincent Pushes Back on Campbell’s Claim
NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent addressed the controversy Thursday, and he left no room for interpretation.
“It was not, and I’m not sure who coach Campbell was referring to, but we did not (intervene),” Vincent told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk. “We did not assist in that. We didn’t have to. I am part of that. I’m part of GameDay Central on every game.”
Vincent went on to explain that GameDay Central isn’t authorized to call illegal motion penalties, only on-field officials can do that. He also noted that viewers could actually hear the referees communicating about the call live during the play.
“You heard the officials talking immediately as the play was going on, prior to even the touchdown,” Vincent said.
So Why the Delay?
Fans were left wondering why the flag came in so late, well after the ball had crossed the goal line. Vincent compared the process to how officials handle intentional grounding, where multiple referees must confirm different aspects of the rule before throwing the flag.
“They’re communicating,” Vincent explained. “And in this particular case, even though it was a motion, an illegal shift here, when you look at intentional grounding: did the ball make it back to the line of scrimmage? Was there a receiver in the vicinity? Was the quarterback still in the pocket? You can hear the officials gathering, in this particular case, very similar to that. But we didn’t have to get involved in this particular play.”
That clarification aligns with what lead referee Craig Wrolstad said immediately after the game.
“It’s my job to see if the quarterback stopped initially (behind center),” Wrolstad explained. “The down judge watches the player in motion, and we had to communicate between him, my umpire, and my line judge whether or not he initially stopped at the quarterback position and then whether he stopped after he went in motion out of my view toward the left-hand side of the field.”
The officials’ discussion, Wrolstad said, created “a little bit of confusion”, which led to the delayed flag.
The Big Picture
The NFL’s statement might not calm Lions fans who still feel robbed of a highlight-reel touchdown, but it does close the book, at least officially, on the “came from New York” theory.
Still, this episode underscores the ongoing tension between coaches and the league’s officiating process. Campbell’s frustration wasn’t just about one play, it’s about transparency and communication in a system that, at times, leaves even the coaches guessing.
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Jeff Bilbrey
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