Why Detroit Lions avoided 10-second runoff in wild win over Falcons
ATLANTA — Matthew Stafford had flashbacks of the last time the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons played.
"I mean, same team, right?" Stafford said.
Marvin Jones did, too.
"I’m not going to lie. It did go through my head," Jones said. "I’m like, 'Nah, not again. Uh-uh.' But dude pushed Kerryon, so I was like, 'Nah, it has to be good. They can’t call this. We’re good.' "
The Lions beat the Atlanta Falcons, 23-22, Sunday in an improbable comeback with an ending nearly reminiscent of the Lions' 2017 loss to the Falcons, when Atlanta won after a 10-second runoff following replay review.
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In that game, the Lions drove to the precipice of the goal line and appeared to score the winning touchdown on a 1-yard pass from Stafford to Golden Tate with 8 or 9 seconds to play.
Officials ruled the play a touchdown on the field, but the call was overturned on replay, necessitating a 10-second runoff that ended the game and left the Lions frustrated by what was a correctly applied rule.
On Sunday, with the Lions trailing 22-16, Stafford completed a 29-yard pass to Kenny Golladay with about 12 seconds to play that gave the Lions an apparent first-and-10 at the Atlanta 11-yard line.
Officials called for a review with 3 seconds left, as Stafford rushed to the line to spike the ball and kill the clock, and eventually determined Golladay's catch was called correctly on the field.
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Al Riveron, the NFL's senior vice president for officiating, said in a pool report that the simple distinction between the play being called correctly on the field is why the Lions avoided another 10-second runoff Sunday.
"In a situation like (the 2017 game), what happens is the ruling on the field of a touchdown essentially kills the clock," Riveron said. "Now what we do is we say it’s not a touchdown and put the ball back in the field of the play. Obviously, No. 1, we change the ruling, and No. 2 we go to a running clock, so now the 10-second runoff comes into play."
On Sunday, "there was no change in the ruling on the field; therefore, the 10-second runoff does not come into play," Riveron said.
Had officials determined Gollday's catch was incomplete, the Lions would have had the ball at their own 40-yard line with about 12 seconds on the clock, enough time for probably two pass attempts.
While players from both teams scrambled to the line of scrimmage after the initial catch, Falcons defensive lineman Grady Jarrett knocked over Lions running back Kerryon Johnson.
One official threw a flag as Stafford took the snap — Lions coach Matt Patricia said Jarrett would have been penalized on the play — but Riveron said replay official Billy Smith signaled for a review before the play, negating the penalty.
"When I snapped the ball to spike it the first time, Kerryon was like sliding behind me," Stafford said. "Had no idea what was going on. I thought right there I was like, 'Oh, we apparently fell down or something. I don’t know what happened. Ten-second runoff, game over.' All sorts of craziness ensued."
When play resumed after the review, Stafford spiked the ball with 2 seconds left on the clock. On the game's final play, he scrambled to avoid a sack and found T.J. Hockenson streaking across the front of the end zone for the winning touchdown.
"Was just happy they gave us, rightfully so, one more chance," Stafford said.
Added Jones, "Oh that (2017 game) was crazy. Let’s not talk about that. We won. Let’s leave it on a good note."
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why 10-second runoff rule did not apply in Sunday's Lions-Falcons game
