Dan Campbell Takes Blame for Overturned Trick-Play Touchdown as Lions Add Depth at Cornerback
Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell owned up Tuesday to the illegal motion penalty that wiped out a touchdown in last week’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Campbell said the fault was his, not his players’.
“I told the team, I take full responsibility for that,” Campbell said. “The players did exactly what we told them. I didn’t make it clear enough, and that’s on me.”
The play in question came on a gutsy fourth-and-goal call to cap a nearly 10-minute opening drive. Jared Goff appeared to haul in a 1-yard touchdown pass from David Montgomery, but officials flagged Detroit for illegal motion. The touchdown came off the board, and the Lions settled for a field goal.
Goff lined up behind Graham Glasgow before sliding left in motion, catching the pass, and powering across the goal line. However, per referee Craig Wrolstad, because Goff started the play under center, he had to come to a full stop for one second to be eligible as a receiver. He never did, and the flag came out.
After the game, Goff admitted he wasn’t aware of that wrinkle. “I thought it was only about having your hands under center,” he said. “I’d never heard that being close to the center still makes you a quarterback. If that’s the rule, we have to learn it.”
It’s not the first time the Lions have run into trouble on a clever call. Fans will remember the 2023 two-point fiasco against Dallas, when confusion about which lineman was eligible cost Detroit a game-winning conversion. Campbell was clearly still stung by that moment, saying of whether he discussed the play with officials pre-snap, “I don’t even want to talk about it. It’s a real sore spot.”
Roster Moves: Lions Add Kendall Fuller
Amid the fallout, Detroit made a few roster changes. The Lions signed veteran cornerback Kendall Fuller to the practice squad, a move intended to bolster a battered secondary. Fuller, 30, started 11 games for the Miami Dolphins last season and brings experience to a unit missing several contributors.
D.J. Reed and Terrion Arnold are expected back after the bye, while Khalil Dorsey and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. remain on injured reserve. Hybrid defensive back Avonte Maddox is also out this week with a hamstring issue.
Additionally, the team re-signed center Kingsley Eguakun and defensive tackle Chris Smith to the practice squad after both were released from the active roster over the weekend.
Detroit will try to clean up the penalties, patch the depth chart, and move forward from yet another “so close” moment. Around here, trick plays are fun until they turn into trauma.
