- The Dallas Cowboys earned a dramatic 21-20 win over the Detroit Lions
- The Lions thought they had won the match in the final moments but were denied
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
The Dallas Cowboys survived three late two-point conversion attempts as they defeated the Detroit Lions 20-19 in a chaotic and controversial climax on Saturday night.
The NFC North champion Lions had come within a point of the Cowboys when Jared Goff found Amon-Ra St Brown for a touchdown pass with 23 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Opting for a two-point conversion, the Lions' first attempt consisted of Goff completing a pass to lineman Taylor Decker, after which the offensive tackle was ruled an ineligible receiver, despite video evidence appearing to show him committing before the play reported to a referee. failed attempt. The “illegal touching” call infuriated Lions head coach Dan Campbell on the sideline.
The Lions then went for two again from the 7-yard line and were stopped on an interception that didn't even reach the end zone, but the Cowboys were whistled for offside.
On the final attempt, Goff's pass to James Mitchell was incomplete, capping Dallas' celebration of the induction of two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Jimmy Johnson into the team's Ring of Honor at halftime.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell argues with officials after controversial 'illegal touching' call
'I don't want to talk about it. I explain everything to a T before the game. I did that. 70 signed up, 68 didn't, we threw it to 68, that was the explanation,” Campbell said after the game.
“I told the offense, we were going down, there was 1:41 left, we were going to score and then go for two and finish this game. I told them that. So that's what we're doing.'
Decker was even more vocal than his head coach after Saturday's game in Dallas, though he told reporters he “went to the referee, reported it and I don't know.”
“So I did what I was told, we did it like we did it all week in practice and that's probably all I'm going to talk about with that,” he continued, adding that his quarterback told him to go, “Yeah. I mean, I can't add much more…you can see the video evidence.”
Lions QB Jared Goff, L, talks to OT Taylor Decker before running a two-point conversion play
Goff was just as stunned as Decker after Detroit snapped its two-game winning streak at the hands of the Cowboys.
“Pretty confused,” he said. 'What I do know, and I don't know if I'll be fined for this. But I do know that Decker reported it. I do know that Dan Skipper didn't know that. And I do know they said Dan Skipper did that.”
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott threw for 345 yards and two touchdowns, including a 92-yard fumble to CeeDee Lamb, who had a career-high 227 yards receiving in the first quarter.
Lamb's touchdown was the second-longest pass in club history – behind the 95-yard connection in 1966 between two more Ring of Honor members in Don Meredith and Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Bob Hayes.
The NFC North champion Lions (11-5) went for the win after entering the game hoping to get one of the top two seeds in the NFC.
The playoff-bound Cowboys (11-5) have a shot at the NFC East title but need division leader Philadelphia to lose at least once in the final two weeks.
Goff finished 19 for 34 for 271 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, and David Montgomery scored a run.