Saints Left Confused by Overturned Touchdown in Overtime Loss to Lions

Controversy at Ford Field

The New Orleans Saints suffered a tough 31-30 overtime loss to the Detroit Lions. A major talking point from the game was a controversial decision by the officials that took away a defensive touchdown for the Saints.

With the Lions leading 7-0 in the second quarter, Saints defensive end Chase Young sacked Lions quarterback Jared Goff. The ball came loose and Saints defensive back Jonas Sanker ran it into the end zone. The play was first called a touchdown on the field, but replay officials overturned it, calling it an incomplete forward pass instead.

Players and Coaches React

The decision left both teams confused. Chase Young said he had never seen anything like it. Lions quarterback Jared Goff admitted he was trying to figure it out on the fly.

Saints coach Kellen Moore called the ruling a challenging circumstance. He noted that once the arm is moving, there is protection for the passer no matter where the ball goes. Lions coach Dan Campbell was happy to get the call, admitting he initially thought his team had lost that play.

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough pointed out that the ball went backwards, which added to the confusion. However, he also said the team did not do enough on offense to finish the game.

Why the Touchdown Was Overturned

According to the NFL rulebook, if an opponent contacts a passer after they begin their throwing motion, it is ruled a forward pass. Mark Butterworth, the NFL Vice President of Instant Replay, explained that Goff had already started his throwing motion before Young made contact. Because of this, the play was ruled an incomplete forward pass rather than a fumble.