The Los Angeles Rams are fighting for the chance to earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and they appeared to get a little help from the refs.
In their battle against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, the Rams benefitted from a controversial call that led Los Angeles to take the lead. Detroit had control of the game for most of the first half, but the Rams started to chip away in the second half.
Then, Los Angeles took the lead in the third quarter, but it came on a questionable call as Matthew Stafford threw a touchdown to Colby Parkinson. The potential missed call wasn't just the issue of the referees on the field, as it also included the replay center.
Here's why the Rams touchdown was so controversial.
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Colby Parkinson touchdown, explained
The Rams took the lead in the second half as Matthew Stafford found Colby Parkinson down the sidelines for a 26-yard touchdown to go up 27-24. It marked Stafford's first touchdown of the game and Los Angeles' first touchdown of the third quarter.
To quote @TomBrady, an absolute piss missle from Matthew Stafford to Colby Parkinson for six!
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 14, 2025
📺 @NFLonFOX | #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/4OCFJe8QZ9
However, upon further review, it appeared that the referees missed a crucial piece of the play. Parkinson's knee seemed to come down just short of the endzone, so the Rams should've gotten the ball at a first-and-goal situation.
HUH??? Refs ruled this a Rams touchdown instead of putting the ball down on the 1 yard line where Parkinson's knee was down... Pic.twitter.com/vYa5VWAHzU
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) December 14, 2025
As every scoring play is reviewed, the replay center had to confirm the call before moving on with the game. Therefore, the Lions were not able to challenge the call. While it's likely that the Rams would've still scored a touchdown, the call prevented Detroit's defense from getting the opportunity to execute a goal-line stand.