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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Tim Capurso

Officiating Crew From Lions-Cowboys Expected to Be Left Out of NFL Playoffs, per Report

The ending of the Dallas Cowboys' 20—19 win over the Detroit Lions was mired in controversy after Detroit's potential game-winning two-point conversion was wiped off the board by a penalty on offensive lineman Taylor Decker, who was called for illegal touching on the play. 

The officials determined that Decker failed to report himself as an eligible receiver before the play, despite replays showing the Lions lineman approaching referee Brad Allen and presumably doing so before the play. 

It's not the first time in that game—or this season—that Allen and his crew have come under fire for their officiating. The NFL is taking action, as Allen's crew is expected to be downgraded, something that will affect their status for the NFL postseason, according to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter

Allen, an NFL referee since the 2014 season, and his crew also incorrectly flagged the Cowboys for a tripping penalty before the controversial final play in the fourth quarter. 

The crew has drawn criticism for missing an obvious pass interference call at the end of the Chiefs-Packers game back in Week 13, as well as several other rulings from this season. 

It appears that the NFL is taking steps to ensure that these officials won't be anywhere near this season's most important games. 

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