The Detroit Lions faced a significant blow to their playoff aspirations after a narrow defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, marked by a controversial officiating decision. The game, played at Ford Field, concluded with a score of 29-24 in favor of the Steelers, who improved to 9-7 and solidified their position in the AFC North.
In the closing moments of the game, the Lions made a valiant effort to overcome a 12-point deficit, nearly achieving a remarkable comeback. However, two offensive pass interference penalties negated potential game-winning touchdowns, leaving Detroit”s playoff hopes hanging by a thread.
Despite the circumstances, quarterback Jared Goff chose not to place blame on the officials for the loss. Goff acknowledged that while he disagreed with the first offensive pass interference call, he recognized the challenges referees face. “They have a hard job, and I don”t want to make any excuses or anything like that,” Goff stated. “We”ve been on the right side of a lot of these, and we”ve been on the wrong side on a lot of these.”
The first penalty came during a crucial one-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown. The call involved rookie wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa, who was penalized for contact with a Steelers defender that was deemed excessive, disallowing the touchdown.
Later, on the game”s final play, Goff aimed for St. Brown again as the Lions faced fourth down at the nine-yard line. St. Brown was initially stopped short of the end zone, but a lateral back to Goff set up a dramatic leap for a potential game-winning score. However, a flag was thrown as the officials convened to discuss the play. Ultimately, the call was ruled a touchdown, only to be negated by a pass interference penalty against St. Brown for pushing off a defender.
With no time left on the clock, the game concluded, as offensive penalties at that moment result in an automatic end to the game. The decision left the Lions in disbelief as their chances of postseason contention diminished significantly. With the Chicago Bears leading the division at 11-4 and the Green Bay Packers at 9-5-1 occupying the last Wild Card spot, Detroit finds itself in a precarious position.
The Lions will look to regroup as they prepare to face the 7-8 Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day.
