By Grant Gordon, Digital Content Editor
Two days after a controversial loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell made it emphatically clear he was moving on from the defeat.
Nonetheless, it’s still a talking point as Lions offensive lineman Dan Skipper said Wednesday he was not reporting as an eligible receiver in response to an NFL memo sent Tuesday that indicated he was.
“So personnel, you signal in,” Skipper said, via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. “I wasn’t like this (wiping my numbers). I was not doing that. I was doing this (holding one arm up and another by my stomach, with two fingers out), signaling 12 jumbo. Everyone who’s played at this level, I’m sure all you guys know that you signal in personnel.”
The Lions lost to the Cowboys, 20-19, after offensive tackle Taylor Decker‘s 2-point conversion was negated when it was ruled Decker was not an eligible receiver. Two attempts followed to no avail (one an incompletion that was negated by a Dallas penalty and a final official incompletion).
Referee Brad Allen, per the game’s pool report, said Skipper reported as an eligible receiver, not Decker.
The video memo sent Tuesday underscores that it is a player’s responsibility to make certain his status change “is clearly communicated to the referee by both a physical signal up and down his chest and to report to the referee his intention to report as an eligible receiver.”
Skipper is shown and circled in the video, which points out he is raising his hand and gesturing while he reports for the 2-point attempt late in the game, similar to how he reported during the first quarter of the game.
The memo was sent to each NFL team as a reminder that any offensive player numbered 50-79 or 90-99 is permitted to line up as an eligible pass receiver, but the player must immediately report the change in his status to the referee. The referee will thereby inform the defense and make an announcement. As noted in the video, it’s a process that has been implemented for years.
Skipper said because he did not go up to the official, he could not be the one reporting.
“Typically you have to go up to the official and very (directly tell him you are reporting),” he said. “You can watch it all year. You can watch the first quarter, Play 4, and granted I only did it once during the game this week, so the multiple times throughout the game, also not true, but we’ll leave that there. But when you walk up you say, ‘Sir, I am reporting as eligible.'”
Detroit, which has clinched the NFC North, will wrap up its regular season against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Though he spoke at length on the matter Wednesday, Skipper said he’s ready to move on.
“I mean, (expletive), you can’t sit here and wallow in the past,” he said.
Perhaps the news cycle will follow his lead.