DETROIT – Why did the officials let the Detroit Lions run one more play before halftime for a key touchdown against the Bears?
The Lions were up 21-14 with the ball on Chicago’s 33-yard line on Sunday with 21 seconds left until the break. The Lions didn’t have any timeouts left when Jared Goff hit Isaac TeSlaa for a big gain down to the 4-yard line.
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Before Goff and the offense could get down and spike the ball, the game clock hit zero, and it appeared the Lions wouldn’t get a chance to capitalize on that huge play.
But the officials put 6 more seconds on the clock, allowing the Lions to run another play -- a touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown that made it a 28-14 score at the break.
With the Bears set to receive the opening kickoff of the second half, they would have had a chance to tie the game to start the second half. Instead, they were down two scores.
It was a massive sequence in the game. But why did the Lions get that opportunity?
According to the officials, the original ruling on the field was that TeSlaa caught the 29-yard pass in bounds, but then went out of bounds to stop the clock.
Upon review, TeSlaa had caught the ball and been touched in bounds by a defender, so the clock never should have stopped running, and theoretically, the Lions should not have gotten off another play.
But since the play was apparently called incorrectly and then overturned, the officials initiated a 10-second runoff and said the clock would start on the spot. The Lions quickly snapped it and found St. Brown for a backbreaking touchdown.
Again, if the play was called correctly live, the Lions probably would not have had time to snap the ball. But they got a break, and they took full advantage.