Lions Edge Saints 31-30 in OT After Overturned TD Call — SkimNews
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- Detroit Lions escaped with a 31-30 overtime win over the New Orleans Saints after a controversial replay reversal in the second quarter.
- Chase Young beat Penei Sewell and sacked Jared Goff around the Lions' 23-yard line with 9:33 left in the second quarter; Jonas Sanker scooped up the loose ball and ran into the end zone for what was initially ruled a backward-pass touchdown that would have tied the game 7-7.
- NFL VP of instant replay Mark Butterworth explained the reversal hinged on the fact that Goff had already started his throwing motion before contact, citing 2026 NFL rulebook language that any pass becomes forward if contact materially affects the passer after the windup begins.
- Saints coach Kellen Moore called the situation 'a little bit of a challenging circumstance' but conceded, 'once the arm is moving, no matter where the ball's going, there's a protection there.'
- Lions coach Dan Campbell was blunt about the lucky break: 'I'll take that one... I thought we lost that one.'
- Both quarterbacks were left guessing: Goff said he was 'trying to figure it out on the fly too,' while Saints QB Tyler Shough said the offense 'didn't do enough to go up there and finish it.'
Why it matters: The reversal erased a potential game-tying defensive touchdown and preserved Detroit's 7-0 lead that stood through regulation. The 2026 rulebook language now puts the forward-vs-backward distinction squarely in replay officials' hands whenever a sack coincides with the passer's windup, leaving defenses with little recourse on similar plays.
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