Buffalo Bills cornerback Taron Johnson has made a shocking claim about a pivotal moment in the Bills’ 48-42 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday. The game, widely considered a potential Super Bowl preview, saw an aggressive onside kick attempt by the Lions that not only backfired but has now become the center of controversy.
During the fourth quarter, Lions head coach Dan Campbell called for an onside kick with his team trailing by 10 points and just over 12 minutes left on the clock. The move, driven by desperation, ended disastrously for Detroit when Buffalo’s Mack Hollins recovered the kick and returned it to the Lions’ five-yard line. The Bills capitalized on the opportunity, scoring on the very next play to secure their lead.
However, Johnson has now alleged that Lions players employed inappropriate and unsportsmanlike tactics during the chaotic scramble for the ball. Speaking to reporters after the game, Johnson described what he experienced in the pile.
“[They did] a whole lotta pulling, a whole lotta pinching, putting fingers where they’re not supposed to be, and all that stuff,” Johnson said. “We did a good job on that play, but it wasn’t pretty.”
Unsavory Tactics in the NFL
Johnson’s claims harken back to a time when such behavior in NFL pile-ups was notoriously common. Retired defensive lineman Fred Smerlas previously described the gruesome nature of pile-up battles, recounting instances of players gouging eyes, punching, and grabbing sensitive areas during the chaos.
“In the fumble pile, everything gets whacked,” Smerlas told SB Nation in 2019. “You’ve got 330-pound men jumping on you. Let me tell ya, get hit by guys that size with pads and helmets, and it gets ugly fast.”
Smerlas also revealed that players used psychological tactics to gain an advantage, including deliberately emitting foul odors to unsettle opponents. Johnson’s allegations suggest that remnants of these old-school practices still linger in today’s NFL.
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Campbell’s Desperate Gamble Backfires
Campbell’s decision to attempt the onside kick was a bold gamble. The Lions’ defense, riddled with injuries to key players like defensive tackle Alim McNeill and cornerback Carlton Davis III, had been unable to contain the Bills’ potent offense. Led by quarterback Josh Allen, Buffalo scored touchdowns on five of their first nine possessions and missed only one field goal.
“We thought we’d get that ball,” Campbell said after the game. “I wish I hadn’t done it.”
Campbell’s frustration was compounded by changes to the NFL’s kickoff rules, which have significantly reduced the success rate of onside kicks. Under the league’s revamped guidelines, teams must declare an onside kick attempt, and such attempts are only allowed in the fourth quarter. These changes have effectively removed the element of surprise from the play, further diminishing its success.
The Decline of the Onside Kick
The NFL’s rule changes have made onside kicks increasingly rare and ineffective. Since banning running starts on kickoffs in 2018, the success rate of onside kicks has plummeted to just 7.3% this season. By Week 15, only three of 41 onside kicks had been successfully recovered.
NFL executive Troy Vincent has acknowledged the issue, calling the onside kick “a dead play” and urging the league to explore alternatives.
“Our effort should be to make every single play a competitive play, and that includes the onside kick,” Vincent said last week. “We have to be creative. Coaches can come up with good, solid, competitive plays to bring excitement back to those situations.”
One proposed alternative is to allow teams to attempt a fourth-and-long play from their own 20-yard line instead of an onside kick. Although this idea, originally proposed by the Philadelphia Eagles, was rejected by NFL owners during the league’s annual spring meetings, it has gained traction as a potential solution to the declining effectiveness of onside kicks.
A Lions Team in Crisis
Detroit’s decision to attempt the onside kick highlights the team’s current struggles. The Lions entered Sunday’s game with a depleted roster, missing star players like Aidan Hutchinson and dealing with a growing list of injuries. Despite their impressive 12-2 record and an 11-game winning streak, the Lions’ defensive unit was overwhelmed by Buffalo’s high-powered offense.
Campbell, however, refused to blame the loss entirely on injuries. “I’m not buying it,” he said. “We can be better. We should’ve been better. We know how good they are, but that team was more urgent than us.”
Moving Forward
While the Bills’ victory keeps them in strong contention for the AFC’s top seed, Johnson’s allegations add an unexpected layer of controversy to the game.
Whether the NFL will address Johnson’s claims remains to be seen, but the incident underscores the intensity and physicality of professional football, especially during critical moments.
As the league continues to evaluate its rules surrounding onside kicks and other high-stakes plays, teams like the Lions may need to rethink their approach to these desperate scenarios. Meanwhile, the Bills will look to build on their momentum as they push toward a potential Super Bowl run.
