Lions-Steelers final play: Why fluky Amon-Ra St. Brown-to-Jared Goff TD was called back, resulting in Pittsburgh win

Dan Treacy

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Lions-Steelers final play: Why fluky Amon-Ra St. Brown-to-Jared Goff TD was called back, resulting in Pittsburgh win image

The Detroit Lions aren't eliminated just yet, but it might be fair to say their season hung in the balance when officials debated a call at the end of Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

After turning a 12-point deficit into a great chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter, the Lions saw the game come down to one play on fourth down. When Jared Goff's pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown appeared to come up one yard short of the end zone, St. Brown wisely pitched it back to Goff for what Detroit fans believed was a game-winning touchdown — only it didn't count.

A penalty erased the wacky play, moving the Lions closer to elimination and allowing the Steelers to exhale after a few tense moments. 

Here's a closer look at the sequence that put the Lions' season on the brink. 

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Lions-Steelers ending video

Here's the full sequence from the end of the Lions' loss to the Steelers, including lengthy debate between officials.

After a more than two-minute conversation that must have felt more like two hours for Lions and Steelers fans, officials determined the play would have been a touchdown, but offensive pass interference was committed by Amon-Ra St. Brown, ending the game. 

Lions-Steelers final play, explained

The Lions were set up one yard away from the end zone with plenty of time in the final minute of the fourth quarter, but an offensive pass interference penalty, immediately followed by a false start penalty, backed them up after a would-be touchdown was erased.

After a near-catch by Isaac TeSlaa on third down, the Lions had one play to win the game on fourth down. Goff hit St. Brown with a pass, but St. Brown was stopped just shy of the goal line and decided to pitch it back to Goff as he fell to the turf.

Goff took the ball and ran it in for what he believed was a miraculous touchdown, and officials later agreed the score would have been good if there had been no penalty on the play. Flags flew, however, and officials debated the call for more than two minutes as Goff petitioned for the touchdown to stand.

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The call was ultimately an offensive pass interference penalty on St. Brown, who was ruled to have pushed off of Jalen Rams ey to put himself in position for the catch before the madness of the play began.

The call was not reviewable, and with no time on the clock, it could not be enforced, ending the game. In the official rulebook, the scenario is spelled out clearly: "If there is a foul by the offense, there shall be no extension of the period. If the foul occurs on the last play of the half, a score by the offense is not counted."

Here's a closer look at the push-off that drew the attention of the officials:

Officials didn't do Lions fans any favors with their explanation of the call, as they first announced the ruling was a touchdown, sparking cheers, before explaining an offensive pass interference call ended the game and the touchdown never counted. 

With the loss, the Lions now need two wins and two Green Bay Packers losses to sneak into the playoffs a year after earning the NFC's No. 1 seed at 15-2.

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