By Moses Joshua 
After one of the strangest endings of the season, the NFL had a decision to make — and Lions fans were holding their breath.
The Ending That No One Could Explain
The Detroit Lions’ last hope of sneaking into the postseason evaporated on December 21 in a 29–24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the scoreboard barely tells the story. The game unraveled in a blur of whistles, reviews and confusion that left players, fans and even broadcasters scrambling for clarity.
With time expiring, Jared Goff delivered what appeared to be a miraculous game-winning touchdown after Amon-Ra St. Brown pitched the ball back to him near the goal line. Then the flags came out.
An offensive pass interference call on St. Brown — stemming from contact with Jalen Ramsey — ended the game on the spot. The ruling appeared to be reversed, then upheld, and then the stadium was told the contest was simply… over.
“I was all kinds of confused on the final play of the Steelers-Lions game,” one fan posted on X, summing up the collective disbelief.
Goff Speaks His Mind — Carefully
In the locker room, Goff tried to process what had just happened. His emotions were raw, and while he avoided attacking the officials directly, he didn’t hide his frustration.
Referring to the earlier overturned touchdown involving St. Brown, Goff said:
“The one where St. caught it that we thought was a touchdown, in my opinion, that’s a bad call, but those happen. Listen, man, they’ve got a tough job and they make calls that go our way all the time, but that one in particular he should not hang his head about and I know he’d like to have the in line back again.”
Later, he explained how lost he felt in the moment:
“Yeah, I knew there was a penalty. Was hoping it was defensive and then we either have another play if St. was down. When I saw he wasn’t down, hoping it’s defensive and we get the touchdown and win the game, but didn’t go that way and we lost.”
Those words, however measured, were enough to spark concern. Public criticism of officials can bring fines, and the NFL has made it clear that preserving “competitive balance and game integrity” is non-negotiable.
NFL Delivers Its Verdict
For nearly a week, Lions fans waited to see whether Goff would be disciplined for calling the play a “bad call.” When the league released its weekly disciplinary report on Saturday, December 27, the answer finally arrived.
No fine.
No punishment.
The league opted not to sanction Detroit’s quarterback, quietly closing the book on a situation that could have easily escalated.
It was a rare moment of restraint from the NFL, acknowledging that players are human, especially after an ending that left an entire stadium baffled.
What Comes Next for Detroit?
The ruling doesn’t change the standings. The Lions are out. Their season ends with more questions than answers, and the memory of that final snap will linger well into the offseason.
But for Jared Goff, at least one burden has been lifted. He won’t be paying for his honesty — and perhaps that’s the only clean resolution anyone got out of a game that never truly found one.