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Detroit Lions' Dan Campbell ready to put 'controlled fury' to good use after Dallas loss
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- Detroit Lions' Dan Campbell ready to put 'controlled fury' to good use after Dallas loss
Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell said Saturday's loss to the Dallas Cowboys left him with a case of "controlled fury" he intends to channel other directions ahead of this week's season finale against the Minnesota Vikings .
"We're on a mission and we're not going to feel sorry for ourselves and wallow in everything," Campbell said. "We had plays to make, we didn't make them. And it's a tight game, a good opponent, playoff-type atmosphere and you've got to make that one extra play that we didn't. So we will use this as fuel. I got pure octane right now. I woke up, I'm ready, so we're moving forward."
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The Lions lost, 20-19, to the Cowboys on Saturday after a botched series of 2-point attempts after they pulled within one point on a touchdown with 23 seconds to play.
Lions coach Dan Campbell talks to referee Brad Allen regarding offensive tackle Taylor Decker's 2-point conversion catch being called illegal touching during the second half of the Lions' 20-19 loss to the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023.
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Jared Goff completed a pass to left tackle Taylor Decker on the first 2-point try, but the play was nullified by an illegal touching penalty on Decker.
Referee Brad Allen announced swing tackle Dan Skipper as the eligible receiver on the play, making Decker an ineligible receiver.
Allen said in a pool report after the game Skipper reported as eligible, while the Lions insist Decker checked in as the eligible receiver.
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The Lions failed on two more 2-point tries , one from the 7-yard line after the penalty and another from just outside the 3 after the Cowboys were flagged for offsides. But controversy has swirled for days over the initial attempt, and Campbell said Monday he would not change anything with the way he went about the play, from notifying Allen about it before the game to its execution on the field.
While Campbell has avoided directly criticizing the officiating of the play to avoid getting fined, he offered more specifics on the mechanics of the try and the reporting process Monday.
Detroit Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker (68) catches the ball in the end zone for a 2-point conversion against Dallas Cowboys during the second half at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. The play was flagged for illegal touching.
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He said he showed Allen a diagram of the play before the game, as is his custom on trick plays the Lions have up for the week.
"Had it on a piece of paper, our play," he said. "What our players have. All I can do is talk through it, that's all I can do."
After the Lions' final touchdown, Decker and right tackle Penei Sewell approached Allen as Skipper ran on the field as an extra lineman from the sideline. Allen pointed in Skipper's direction, signaling Skipper as the eligible receiver.
Decker said after the game he verbally reported as eligible, while Skipper said he "did not say a word to the official."
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Skipper ran on the field with his hands up by his chest. Players can report as eligible receivers by wiping their numbers. Asked if Skipper did that as he ran on the field, Campbell said, "Not that I know of. Did you see something?"
Campbell said he did not initially hear Allen announce Skipper as the eligible receiver and had no recourse to change the play once he realized that happened because the Lions were out of timeouts.
"I don't have a timeout," he said. "I mean, there's nothing I could do. And it's loud, you can't hear anything. Not where we were at. I think right when the play started you realized that they had ID'd 70 (Skipper), so it is what it is."
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As for why the Lions had three linemen approach Allen during the reporting process, Campbell said that was done to confuse the Cowboys. Skipper reported as eligible previously in the game, and Decker (68) and Sewell (58) wear similar numbers.
"If you're running a play like that and 70 is your jumbo tight end and they know that because that's what he does for you, and then you're going to decide you're going to make 68 eligible and he walks over to the ref and then the ref stands over 68 before the play and they hold the ball and they stand over and point at him, do you think you're going to be able to throw the ball to 68?" Campbell said. "No, so it's about eligibility, that's what it's about. And it has nothing to do with the ref. The ref knows. He knows, because 68 reported. It's for the defense so that they see three different people and you're just hoping they happen to not hear that it's 70. That's all."
After a scheduled day off Monday, Lions players are due in Tuesday for the first time since the loss.
Campbell said he is confident players will approach the week with the same "controlled fury" he's dealt with for days.
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"Honestly, I feel great about it, because I, for the most part, until you guys ask me the questions, I'm over it," he said. "Like, I don't even want to deal with it. (Lions president Rod Wood is) handling all of (the dialogue with the league). He's got it. And I don't even want to deal with it. I'm done. I'm good. I just want to go and I want to get ready for Minnesota and our players will be ready to roll, I know they will."
Campbell said he was not aware of any feedback the league had given to Wood as of Monday afternoon.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions' Dan Campbell on 2-point controversy: 'Use this as fuel'
