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One of the Detroit Lions' offensive linemen involved in the controversial penalty that negated the team’s go-ahead 2-point conversion against the Dallas Cowboys over the weekend spoke out about the interaction he had with referee Brad Allen.
During the game, Dan Skipper and Penei Sewell were seen talking to Allen when Taylor Decker approached to report as an eligible receiver.
But as Decker approached Allen to report, Allen ran to the defense to let them know who was reporting as eligible. Allen said it was Skipper, and when Decker caught the pass in the end zone, a penalty was called.
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Dan Skipper of the Detroit Lions on the sideline during the national anthem prior to a game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium Dec. 30, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
On Wednesday, Skipper said he wasn’t reporting as eligible.
"So, personnel, you signal in," he told reporters, via the Detroit Free Press. "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."
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Skipper said an offensive lineman would normally have to go directly to an official and be clear he's the player reporting as eligible.
Dan Skipper of the Detroit Lions stands on the sideline during a game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium Dec. 30, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
"You can watch it all year," he added. "You can watch the first quarter, play four, 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.’"
In the postgame, the explanations contradicted each other. Lions quarterback Jared Goff said he was sure Decker reported as an eligible receiver and Skipper had not. Allen said Skipper reported to him as an eligible receiver but then went to the tackle spot, which meant he didn’t have to report at all. Decker was already in the game.
Sam LaPorta (87) of the Detroit Lions celebrates a touchdown catch with Dan Skipper (70) during the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Ford Field Dec. 16, 2023, in Detroit. (Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
"That conversation is where (Skipper) reports to me, and I then go to the defensive team, and I say to them, ‘(Skipper) has reported as an eligible receiver,’ so they will be aware of who has reported, and then I return to my position," Allen said in a pool report. "That was the conversation with the defensive line."
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Skipper said he’s ready to move on. The team hosts the Minnesota Vikings in its final game of the season.
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