DETROIT – Detroit Lions fans will be shocked to hear it, but their team was once again the victim of a questionable call in the first half of their playoff game against the Rams.
After scoring touchdowns on each of their first three drives, the Lions faced a 4th and 5 at the Rams’ 41-yard line, and linebacker Ernest Jones IV clearly jumped across the line of scrimmage early.
But when the officials threw the flag, they called a false start on Taylor Decker, pushing the Lions back to 4th and 9 and forcing them to punt. Replay showed Decker didn’t move a muscle until Jones was well across the line.
But instead of a first down inside the Rams’ 40-yard line, the Lions had to punt the ball back to the Rams and go to halftime with a 21-17 lead. That might not sound so bad, but the Rams get the ball first after halftime, and they scored on all three of their first half drives (not counting the one to run out the clock).
This is nothing new for Lions fans. Two weeks ago, a win over the Cowboys was ripped away by a strange penalty on a two-point conversion in Dallas. There was the 10-second runoff call against the Falcons. There was the batted ball against the Seahawks. The non-pass interference against the Cowboys in the playoffs. Need I go on?
This season feels very different because the Lions are hosting a playoff game for the first time in 30 years. But one thing that hasn’t changed: Detroit clearly isn’t going to get a home whistle.
