While the Lions staff was busy dialing up a play to try and seal their victory over the Vikings on Sunday, coach Dan Campbell revealed that he was being distracted by a phenomenon in the stands: the wave.
Leading 31–23 with two minutes remaining, Detroit faced a third down that if converted would have all but sealed the game. To get the seven yards, the Lions broke out a crafty trick play that resulted in left tackle Penei Sewell reporting as an eligible receiver and darting across the formation prior to the snap. The 22-year-old then made the catch in open space for a first down, allowing Detroit to add a field goal a few plays later to go up by two scores.
The play was as risky as it was brilliant, but Campbell admitted that he signed off on the call without fully grasping what was about to take place. That was because Lions fans were doing the wave in the stands at Ford Field, and he was looking at the crowd.
