The wild card round brought a unique significance for Detroit Lions’ left tackle Taylor Decker, marking his opportunity to end the team’s prolonged NFL playoff drought. As the longest-tenured player facing the Rams, Decker played a crucial role in securing the Lions’ 24-23 victory over the Los Angeles Rams to advance them to the playoffs for the first time since 1991.
Nevertheless, the game, which was a stroke of bad luck for the Rams regarding their defeat and Matthew Stafford’s injury, also led the Lions’ vet player to be a victim of a controversial call from the refs.
Why did Taylor Decker find himself in the middle of controversy?
During the Lion’s wild-card showdown against the Rams, Taylor Decker found himself at the center of a controversial call that could have significantly impacted the game. With just over a minute left in the first half, Decker was surprisingly penalized for a false start on fourth-and-5.
The confusion arose as Rams linebacker Ernest Jones had clearly jumped into the neutral zone, a move that should have drawn a penalty in favor of the Lions. Nevertheless, the official announced the false start against Decker. This unfortunate turn of events forced the Lions to punt and allowed the Rams to run out the clock for the remainder of the first half.
Despite the evident error in the call, Decker, who broke into tears after the Lions made the playoffs, chose not to dwell on the officiating, offering a diplomatic response to reporters after the game.
“I’m not going to comment on the officials. It is what it is. They jump offsides, we just try to tag them. They called it against us. It is what it is.”
This incident is reminiscent of a disputed 2-point conversion call on December 30 that contributed to the Lions’ narrow loss to the Cowboys. In the earlier game, a contentious call for illegal touching negated a successful 2-point conversion by the Lions. The incident left head coach Dan Campbell visibly upset.
Taylor Decker reflects on playoff win
As the Lions’ first-round pick in 2016, Taylor Decker reflected on the team’s monumental achievement in the playoffs. Speaking about the momentous occasion, Decker expressed the magnitude of the win and the significance of breaking a three-decade playoff drought.
“It’s special. It’s huge. It’s been 30 years, and we didn’t have one. To go out here and win, even when everyone says we’re not going to win, just to be able to have the home-field advantage is really special,” Decker said, per FOX 17.
Decker emphasized their unwavering confidence for the win, as the whole team was undeterred by external skepticism. He shared that they believed in themselves and their ability to compete against formidable opponents was the main recipe for the glorious night.
“We knew it was going to be a good game, and we believe in ourselves, and we believe in ourselves against everybody.”
After defeating the Rams, the Lions are now in a position to host the winner of the match between the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the upcoming conference semifinals.
