Lions own loss after late OPI calls: ‘It’s on us’

DETROIT — Still trying to process what had just happened in the Lions’ 29-24 loss Sunday to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a red-faced Dan Campbell refused to blame the officials after penalties negated two touchdowns that would have flipped the outcome of the game in the final 30 seconds of regulation.

«We weren’t able to close it out. And at the end of the day, that’s on us,» Campbell said of the loss, which likely ended Detroit’s playoff hopes. «We did that. We’re the ones who put ourselves in that position to where we had to try to score on the last play.»

On the final play of the game, a fourth-and-goal from the 9, quarterback Jared Goff hit Amon-Ra St. Brown with a pass just short of the goal line before the star wide receiver flipped a lateral to Goff for what looked like a miracle, walk-off touchdown. However, officials had thrown a flag before Goff crossed the goal line after St. Brown appeared to shove off Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey to break free before the initial catch.

After a lengthy huddle, officials announced that St. Brown had committed offensive pass interference and that the game was over.

The applicable NFL rule to the end-of-game scenario is Rule 4, Section 8, Article 2 (b). It reads, in part: «If there is a foul by the offense, there shall be no extension of the period. If the foul occurs on the last play of the half, a score by the offense is not counted.»

The penalty to end the game came just three plays after a touchdown caught by St. Brown was negated by an offensive pass interference call against rookie wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa.

Goff echoed his coach’s stance of taking ownership for the loss but said he thought the penalty against TeSlaa was a «bad call.»

Aaron Rodgers said it wasn’t quite the wildest ending to a game he has been part of and referenced the 2012 «Fail Mary» between the Packers and Seahawks. That time, the officials ruled that two players had «simultaneous possession,» and Seattle was awarded the game-winning touchdown.

«I was trying to read Carl’s lips and see what he was saying, and I saw him mouth, ‘OPI, end of the game,'» Rodgers said of the review Sunday. «So, I felt pretty confident that was what was going to happen, but you never know. It’s more time. And I was there for the Fail Mary game. I was standing from me to you from the replacement refs as they caved to the pressure of an angry Seattle field when that was obviously not simultaneous possession.

«So, I was glad that it ended up like that. Wild game. Glad we’re on top.»

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Detroit is the only team to have two offensive pass interference penalties enforced in the final 30 seconds of regulation in any game over the past 30 years.

«But those happen,» Goff said. «Listen, man, they’ve got a tough job, and they make calls that go our way all the time, but that one in particular [TeSlaa] should not hang his head about.»

With the loss, the Lions’ chances to make the playoffs have dipped to 6% with two games remaining, per ESPN Analytics.

Detroit’s offense struggled while rushing for just 15 yards, its lowest total in a game since 2016, per ESPN Research. The Steelers, meanwhile, racked up 230 rushing yards.

Afterward, Campbell described the late-game scenario as understandably «frustrating» but said the Lions will look to win out in their last two games at Minnesota on Christmas Day and at Chicago in the regular-season finale.

«You can’t feel sorry for yourself. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t sting, it doesn’t feel bad,» Campbell said. «But we have nobody to blame but ourselves. It’s on us. And it’s also on us to finish. We’ve got two to go.»