Detroit VS Dallas 12-30-23

@Timmy! posted:

I don't know what the requirement is for reporting as eligible, but back in the day, it was a very specific procedure. You had to walk up to the ref, state "number so-and-so is reporting as an eligible receiver", and wait for his acknowledgement, usually by repeating what you told him.
Also, he typically would note it in his game notebook, but you didn't have to wait for that.

It may be much more casual now and/or at the pro level, and that's what Campbell was so pissed about.
I thought the last replay after break was pretty clear; #70 walked up to the ref and presumably reported, but #68 was never anywhere near the ref. If he was yelling it to the ref (unlikely), the ref was already walking away by that time and never made any acknowledgement.

The fact that he was uncovered makes it all moot. I'm surprised there's any NFLFU controversy (for once).

And in some games you can hear the ref with his on- field mic say "#70 is reporting as eligible".   I never heard that last night.

@FLPACKER posted:

From what I've read, both 70 & 68 approached the officials to try to confuse the Cowboys. The Lions say that 68 and not 70 declared as eligible, but officials say it was 70 who declared. My take is that the official really couldn't hear what the two were saying and just assumed it was 70 since he had declared eligible previously in the game.

Yeah, it looked like 68 was there with plenty of time to report as eligible. 70 came running in at the last second and maybe confused the ref. Was he trying to confuse the Cowboy or tell the ref NOT ME this time? Ref was already walking away by the time 70 gets there.

The Lions never should have gotten the ball back because the tripping call should have been on Hutchinson.

But no one's ready to have that conversation amid the reporting as eligible controversy.

So I'm just enjoying the fireworks on the timeline. pic.twitter.com/gM29FKEfvr

— My name's Matt but you can call me Matub (@CallMeMatub) December 31, 2023

Here is the 89-Peyton Hendershot tripping play at the 2 min warning. pic.twitter.com/kRqrqVpCJl

— Bob Sturm (@SportsSturm) December 31, 2023

That looks like a perfectly normal athletic movement.

Safe to say we won't be seeing Brad Allen's crew in the playoffs?

Fuck the lions....they're going to be nothing but a tease for their fans.... especially with Goff at QB.

And if we are keeping it 💯the reason the Lions didn’t scream at the officials after the wrong guy was announced eligible, it’s because that’s exactly the confusion they WANTED to create. They just didn’t expect the refs to also be on their shit enough to call a penalty

— Peter Bukowski (@Peter_Bukowski) December 31, 2023

@PackerHawk posted:

Safe to say we won't be seeing Brad Allen's crew in the playoffs?

Or....maybe we will in a Cowboy playoff game 🤷‍♂️

Like Cris Carter says.....need a fall guy

Detroit trying to send 2 players out to the ref to try and confuse him so they can have TWO players eligible. I called that shit right away at the bar 🍻, drunk 😆.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the NFL does not plan to change the procedure for players reporting as eligible. The league views the situation as an effort by the Lions to engage in deception and gamesmanship that backfired.

https://sports.yahoo.com/repor...lions-183442543.html

I'm with the NFL on this one. Fuck the Lions who had no business winning that game anyway.

I always felt Dan Campbell was a sneaky bastard. This just proves it.

Lions: Yeah 68 (pssst 70), I mean 68....I mean 70 is eligible ref....got it! Thanks!!

🤣😆🖕🏼🤬 Campbell

Campbell: Ok Jared..... throw to whichever one is open bro! We got this!!

Can you 2 tackle eligible or only 1? 

@ammo posted:

Can you 2 tackle eligible or only 1?

You're only allowed 5 eligible receivers. There are 11 players possible on the field.

Tackle eligible play requires ONE of the usual skill positions OFF the field (WR, RB, TE) right???

Basically Tackle Eligible is an extra TE.

Don't forget when they line up he has to be covered by the wideout. In the Lions case they also lined up incorrectly, which was the flag on the play and correctly called by the refs

I get that. But can you have 2 non eligible numbers report as eligible?  Ala 5 down line men, (numbers in 50's, 60's or 70's) 1 QB, 3 regular numbered WR or RB, and 2 reported as eligible line man numbers? 

(5) O-Linemen.....

(3) WR, RB

(1) QB

You playing with only 9 players, Instead of 11??!? That does sound like something meathead would do

Isn’t a trick play supposed to be tricky?  

@Boris posted:

(5) O-Linemen.....

(3) WR, RB

(1) QB

You playing with only 9 players, Instead of 11??!? That does sound like something meathead would do

Read it again. It also says 2 reported as eligible line man numbers.  Could 68 and 70 both report as eligible or can you only have 1????

You can only have one, that is why Lions sent 2 over to the officials, they didn't want Dallas knowing which one was going to line up as eligible.  

Thank you!!!!

I deleted a comment as I also didn't know that a team was limited to 1 'eligible' player only.
Thanks for the info, FLPACKER!

Well I may be wrong ....that is what Dan Campbell said the officials told him, but I am now reading that the actual rule book does not put a limit on how many can report as eligible.

The rule

[P]rovided that he immediately reports the change in his eligibility status to the Referee, who will inform the defensive team.

He must participate in such eligible or ineligible position as long as he is continuously in the game, but prior to each play he must again report his status to the Referee, who will inform the defensive team. The game clock shall not be stopped, and the ball shall not be put in play until the Referee takes his normal position.

So, through Meatheads own admission "he didn't want the defense to know who was eligible" and the rule CLEARLY STATES the defense gets that information.

Like the league said "gamesmanship" you can't trick the defense by reporting 2 players with a wink wink / nudge nudge to the refs while the defense gets the shaft. 

The entire thing is ridiculous and the refs handled it about as well as you could in that situation.

I don't back the league very often but in this case they're 100% correct.

....and Fuck the Lions

@ammo posted:

I get that. But can you have 2 non eligible numbers report as eligible?

Yes.

@FLPACKER posted:

You can only have one, that is why Lions sent 2 over to the officials, they didn't want Dallas knowing which one was going to line up as eligible.  

I am pretty sure you can assign as many tackle eligible players as you want as long as they line up correctly.

9 O-Linemen (1)QB and (1)WR/TE/RB

(4) guys report eligible.

Surprised Belichick hasn't done this already.

@Goalline posted:

I am pretty sure you can assign as many tackle eligible players as you want as long as they line up correctly.

After some research I think this correct.  Just like if you want to put eligible numbers on the OL for the purpose of a backward pass or lateral they must also report as ineligible as receivers for a forward pass.

The way I heard it explained was you can only have 1 tackle eligible on any play. And you have to report each and every play, you can't be eligible for a whole drive or anything like that. And in all my life watching and listening to games I've never heard a ref announce more than one # eligible on any play.

@PackerHawk posted:

The way I heard it explained was you can only have 1 tackle eligible on any play. And you have to report each and every play, you can't be eligible for a whole drive or anything like that. And in all my life watching and listening to games I've never heard a ref announce more than one # eligible on any play.

I don’t think the rule books limit the number tackle eligible players on each play. Logistically, it doesn’t make sense though to name more than one. You would have to either have them cover the line or line up in the backfield. Not good use of resources.

So when a team goes jumbo with OL or DL in the backfield as a lead blocker or runner (think the Fridge), do they need to report as eligible?

Yes the Fridge reported as eligible.

This thread makes me laugh now 😀

Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell told reporters on Monday that his team did in fact try to dupe the Dallas Cowboys during their trick play in the game’s final moments that was controversially called back.

Every party for Detroit maintained that Decker did report as eligible, and numerous TV angles appeared to capture Decker attempting to report when several offensive lineman approached the official. But Campbell said the officials told him they recognized offensive tackle Dan Skipper (No. 70) reporting.

“It’s about eligibility,” Campbell told reporters. “That’s what it’s about. And it has nothing to do with the ref. The ref knows. He knows. Because 68 reported. It’s for the defense, so that they see three different people. And you’re just hoping they happen to not hear that it’s 70 [who isn’t eligible]. That’s all.”

If what Campbell says is true, the officiating crew is the party that was duped. Campbell sent several offensive lineman toward the referee so that it wouldn’t be obvious who was eligible, but officials maintained that Decker never reported.

So Meathead outmeatheaded himself.

https://www.si.com/nfl/2024/01...rick-play-vs-cowboys

Fucked around and found out.

It's so stupid. You can't fool the defense. Once the players number is announced as eligible the defense has a right to know and the announcement of the eligible player & number should come out over the loudspeaker. There is no tricking the defense.

Oh those tricky Loins!

I nominate that two-point conversion play for the year's "Best Self-Own."

Why do the these college educated players, coached by defensive savants need to be told who is eligible?

This is why certain positions corresponded to certain number ranges.

So Campbell purposely had more than one guy declare to the official he was eligible? And admitted to doing so in the hope that the official and subsequently the defense would be confused about what's up? What am I missing here? Going for two after all that was buffoonery, but admitting you were trying to get one over after the fact? Is he really THAT dumb?

Yes.

No, he had more than one guy approach the official, but they say that #70 was not reporting as eligible and even said "I'm not saying anything". Thought they could fool the Cowboys but only served to fool the official.

@FLPACKER posted:

#70 was not reporting as eligible and even said "I'm not saying anything".

And yet, he spoke.

Like the league stated right away ...."Lions were trying some gamesmanship" and it backfired.

All of this is McCarthys fault anyway for that 3rd down throw out of bounds. Seriously.....if I'm Jones and Cowboys lost that game, McCarthy would've been terminated before the clock read :00.

Unless the Cowboys win 2 playoffs games this year, I won't be surprised to see him gone anyway.

That's why I want the Packers vs. the Cowboys in game 1. Rasheed Wallace and/or Zach Tom vs. Parsons. Jaire on Cee Dee Lamb. Dan Quinn vs. Jordan Love & MLF.

#BeatTheBears