It was a tragic day on Sunday, September 24th. The Detroit Lions suffered a crushing defeat that day due to a touchdown reversal paired with a mandatory 10-second run-off rule. Matthew Stafford’s pass was caught by Golden Tate, but Tate was a yard shy of the end zone. Although it was correct to reverse the touchdown, the time was not stopped fast enough. If time was correctly called on the field, the Lions would still be undefeated. What a Lions way to lose.

Detroit is a team familiar with losing a game due to the NFL rule book. In 2010, the Detroit Lions lost their opening  game in Chicago due to a huge, unfortunately missed call. That terrible call has haunted the Lions, along with all their fans, for the past 7 years, and yet again, they will be haunted due to the rule book.  It is unknown whether or not the rule will be called into attention. The NFL Vice President of Officiating, Alberto Riveron, says that, “The committee take a look at not only this play, but a variety of games.” (NFL) It may have been a devastating blow for the Lions, but the rule may still be in action because it does not ruin the game every time.