Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell expresses discontent with the NFL’s reported position on his team’s recent eligibility controversy.
In their 20-19 loss to the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the Lions had their potential game-winning 2-point conversion nullified in the final minute. The officials penalized Detroit for incorrectly reporting Dan Skipper instead of Taylor Decker as an eligible receiver on the play, as seen in a video of the incident.
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A report from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on Monday suggested that the NFL attributed the issue to the Lions’ attempt at “deception and gamesmanship,” which ultimately “backfired.”
Campbell addressed this report during a Tuesday radio appearance on 97.1 The Ticket. In response to the NFL’s characterization, he pointed out the common practice of defenses disguising coverage and questioned why such actions were not considered deception.
“Defenses disguise coverage, isn’t that deception?” Campbell remarked via 97.1 The Ticket’s Will Burchfield. “So what the hell?”
Despite lingering frustration over the eligibility controversy, Campbell indicated his readiness to move forward during a Monday press conference, going so far as to label the entire episode a “blessing” in disguise.
