It was a moment of pure excitement for the Detroit Lions when Jared Goff caught what appeared to be a textbook receiving touchdown on a cleverly designed trick play. But the celebration was short-lived — the score was wiped off the board after a late flag for illegal motion derailed the momentum.
Goff’s reaction said it all: confusion mixed with frustration. He admitted he’d never encountered this interpretation of the rule — being just behind center, touching the center and going into motion triggered the penalty, he said, though he believed the play was legal. Head coach Dan Campbell later took full responsibility for the miscommunication and acknowledged that the play had been called correctly under the rule, even if nobody on the team understood it at the time.
For the Lions, the moment stung. Not only did it erase a big score, but it shifted the energy in a game where they needed all the momentum they could muster. Watching the play get called back reminded everyone how important execution — and clarity of rules — are at this level. The team will move on, but this is a reminder: sometimes the smallest detail matters most.
If you like, I can dig into video and analysis of the exact penalty and share how similar trick-plays have been called in the past.
Goff’s TD Joy Cut Short: Illegal-Motion Call Erases Lions’ Trick Play Spark
