The Lions were in the middle of a strange, messy first half against the Saints on Sunday, Sept. 13, and the officiating wound up being just as much a storyline as the football.
The first head-scratcher came midway through the second quarter, when Saints defensive end Chase Young hit Jared Goff hard enough to send the ball backward. The Saints scooped it up and ran it in for what looked like a touchdown, which would have tied the game 7-7.
Instead, after review, the officials wiped out the turnover. Their ruling was that Goff had already started his throwing motion and meant to throw the ball forward, which turned the play into an incomplete pass rather than a fumble. That meant Detroit kept possession and punted instead of watching New Orleans score.
It was the kind of decision that stopped people in their tracks, because a ball that goes backward is usually treated as a fumble even if the passer isn’t hit. But in this case, the crew decided the ball was dead.
That wasn’t the only ruling that swung the other way in the half.
Later, Jahmyr Gibbs hauled in a pass for the Lions and tried to turn a short gain into something bigger. He was hit from the side and appeared to start losing the ball almost at the same time he was going down. The officials gave the recovery to the Saints, ruling that Gibbs’ hand came off the ball just before he hit the turf.
So the Lions got one break and lost another in a half that already had plenty of confusion attached to it. NFL refs giveth, and NFL refs taketh away.
In Other News...
Former Saints Signees Viral Fiance Reaction Is Getting NFL Fans Talking
Brock Rechsteiners path around the NFL has already taken a few twists. The former Saints signee was waived during final roster cuts and is not currently on an NFL roster, and now he is drawing attention for a different reason after the league handed him a six-game suspension for violating the NFL-NFLPA policy on performance-enhancing substances.
The buzz came after his fiance, Neva Clark, posted a joking video about how the suspension would affect her social media plans. It was the kind of lighthearted post that can take off quickly online, and it has fans talking again about a player whose Saints stint ended before the regular season even began. [Read more 🡒]
Tyler Shough Gave Saints Fans Hope Before A Brutal Late Twist
Tyler Shough gave Saints fans a real jolt of optimism in a game that looked like it was slipping away early. New Orleans struggled out of the gate against Detroit, and the offense never found a first-quarter spark, with Shough throwing two interceptions as the Lions built control of the matchup.
Then Shough helped turn the whole afternoon around, throwing for 410 yards and fueling a second-half rally that carried the Saints into overtime tied at 30. Even after the late push, the ending turned brutal in the extra period, leaving New Orleans to absorb a 31-30 loss after a controversial overturned touchdown tied to an obscure rule about quarterback intent. [Read more 🡒]
Alvin Kamaras Status Leaves Saints Facing A Big Week 1 Shift
Alvin Kamaras Week 1 status has already put the Saints on alert, with the veteran running back listed as questionable for Sundays opener against the Detroit Lions because of a sprained MCL. Even though he was a full practice participant, the expectation is that New Orleans may have to open the season without one of its most reliable offensive pieces, which would force an early adjustment in how the backfield is used.
Travis Etienne Jr., the newcomer, is the name to watch if Kamara sits out, since his role could grow quickly in a game the Saints would prefer not to spend chasing answers. There is still some optimism Kamara could be back by Week 2, but for now New Orleans is preparing for the possibility that its first game plan of the year will look a little different than expected. [Read more 🡒]