Angry ‘Paper Crusher’ Dan Campbell is Livid With the Refs for Stealing the Win & Rich Eisen ‘Seems’ to Be in Agreement

With the regular season nearing its conclusion, the competition among NFL teams to secure playoff berths has intensified. The Detroit Lions met the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17 and despite scoring winning points with few seconds left in the game, the Lions were titled the losers. Fans think Detroit was robbed, and HC Dan Campbell and analyst Rich Eisen couldn’t agree more.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell wasn’t happy with the team’s result and blamed the referees for their loss. His aggression surfaced in a post-game presser while being questioned about the controversial call by the referees which led him to even crumble up a piece of paper in frustration before sliding it into his pocket. Campbell while talking to the reporters stated,

“Two people can’t report. I don’t want to talk about it. I explained everything pregame to a tee. 70 (Dan Skipper) reported… the explanation was that 70 reported.”

 

Campbell’s aggression was valid as in the final moments of the fourth quarter, the Lions reduced their deficit to 20-19 after scoring a touchdown. Following which they had a chance to either kick for a tie or try for a two-point play.

Detroit chose the latter and offensive lineman Taylor Decker even scored after catching the ball. However, the referees nullified the play due to an illegal touching penalty and further stated that Decker did not reported as an eligible receiver.

However, a video has surfaced on the internet in which Taylor Decker and Dan Skipper is seen approaching the referees, most probably to report the play.

NFL analyst Rich Eisen took to X (formerly Twitter) to support Dan Campbell and Detroit Lions. Eisen stated as the trick play had been been reviewed and explained to the referees as claimed by Dan Campbell, then the referees decision during the game seems even more unexpected. This decision has not only affected the game’s result but has caused a big argument among football fans and experts.

Decker’s Confirmation Fuels NFL Refereeing Concerns

After analyzing the play carefully, Troy Aikman also pointed a crucial detail. He mentioned that during the play, not only did Dan Skipper, but Taylor Decker also approached the official. Aikman highlighted that a player typically approaches an official only if they are reporting as an eligible receiver. He stated,

“When you go back and you watch the tape, Dan Skipper comes in but Taylor Decker also walks over to the official. And you only do that if you’re telling the official you’re reporting as an eligible.”

In Taylor Decker’s statement, he himself confirmed that he precisely followed his coach’s instruction during the game. He mentioned that he went to the referees and said “report.” This confirms to a certain point that he did communicate with the referee. But, if the referees indeed made an error, this scenario might cause fans to doubt the fairness of referees when making crucial decisions in games.

Additionally, despite the Week 17 loss, the Lions have an 11-5 record and currently lead the NFC North. Their impressive performance throughout the season has secured their spot in the playoffs. They will face the Minnesota Vikings next week with one more game left in the regular season.

Concerns against refereeing calls have reached a fever pitch this season. Campbell is not the first HC to rage against refereeing this season with Chiefs’ Andy Reid being handed a hefty fine for bad-mouthing the refs. It remains to be seen what the league decides to do in this instance.