The Detroit Lions saw their playoff lives on the line against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and for a brief moment they appeared to have a lifeline in the form of a wild ending.
The Lions needed a touchdown on the final play of the game and scored after Amon-Ra St. Brown made a desperate lateral to Jared Goff, who lunged over the goal line. But officials threw a flag and after a long discussion called St. Brown for offensive pass interference, negating the touchdown and ending the game.
Afterward, veteran Steelers quarterback had just one word to describe the finish.
Lions Lose on Unbelievable Finish
The Lions were trailing 29-17 with less than seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when they launched a furious comeback. After a touchdown pass from Goff to running back Jahmyr Gibbs cut the lead to 29-24, the Lions drove again deep into Pittsburgh territory.
Facing a fourth-and-goal from the 9-yard line with eight seconds left, Goff found St. Brown short of the goalline. The receiver was pushed back by a pair of defenders before pitching back to Goff. Though he scored, a flag had already been thrown and the penalty to St. Brown ended the game.
Rodgers had just one word to sum up the finish.
“Chaos,” he said, via ESPN.
The play attracted some controversy, with Goff telling reporters after the game that he disagreed with the call. It also sparked a backlash at the game, with fans raining down boos on officials after the game-ending penalty was announced.
The game had some other controversial moments, including Steelers receiver DK Metcalf striking a fan during a confrontation on the sidelines. Some Lions fans were upset that Metcalf was allowed to stay in the game instead of being ejected, but CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore explained that they couldn’t have tossed the receiver.
âBecause the officials did not see thisââand you wouldnât expect them to from where DK Metcalf was, itâs not something they can weigh into from an officiating standpoint. I have been notified, though, that will be delivered to compliance with the NFL, and theyâll address it at that point,â Steratore said, via SI.com.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said after the game that he was proud of his team for responding to adversity.
âIâm just so appreciative of the men that I work with and the fight they displayed individually and collectively,â Tomlin said, via ESPN. âCertainly werenât perfect, a lot of adversity, some of it created by us. But they didn’t blink and thatâs whatâs required this time of year.â
Lions Have Very Narrow Path to the Playoffs
The Lions already lost their chance of winning a third straight division title, and now face a nearly impossible task just to reach the playoffs. They must win out in their final two games and have the rival Green Bay Packers lose both of their games.
Goff said his team is clinging to what little hope is left.
âWe know the percentages,â Goff said. âWe know weâre not eliminated. We know some things need to go our way.â
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