Dan Campbell makes obvious admission about controversial two-point play

The Detroit Lions and head coach Dan Campbell want to move on from the controversial finish to last Saturday night's game against the Dallas Cowboys, and rightfully so. But reporters would not be doing their jobs if they didn't try to flesh out information about it, and questions have come as the new week starts.

During his Monday press conference Campbell said he wrote the play out on a piece of paper. While referee Brad Allen was not in the usual pre-game meeting, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network Campbell apparently made an extra effort to spell out the play for Allen 1-on-1 and what the Lions intended to do.

The NFL is apparently blaming the Lions for sending three offensive lineman toward Allen ("deception and gamesmanship that backfired"), with the intention of throwing the Cowboys' defense off that left tackle Taylor Decker would be declaring himself as eligible. Allen simply botched it, instead declaring Dan Skipper eligible. At minimum, it would be nice to see Allen own the mistake.

Dan Campbell makes obvious admission about two-point play vs. Cowboys

During his Monday press conference, Campbell made the clear and obvious admission about the intent of having Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker go to Allen while Skipper ran on the field late.

"It’s about eligibility,” Campbell said. “That’s what it’s about. And it has nothing to do with the ref. The ref knows. He knows. Because 68 reported. It’s for the defense, so that they see three different people. And you’re just hoping they happen to not hear that it’s 70 [who isn’t eligible]. That’s all.”

What the Lions did to try to confuse the Cowboys' defense about who was eligible is perfectly legal, and not unprecedented. That Allen got confused is on him as the referee, and his overall track record is not good. Not that Campbell could have heard that Skipper was declared eligible and not Decker, but he also didn't have a timeout to put a stop to things if he had.

On 97.1 The Ticket Tuesday morning, Campbell landed on an appropriate punch line when it came to the effort to confuse Dallas' defense on the ultimately ill-fated play.

"Defenses disguise coverage, isn’t that deception?" said Campbell. "So what the hell?"

God forbid the Lions tried to confuse the Cowboys' defense to gain an advantage, as Campbell obviously admitted-not that even needed to say so. Instead they confused an official who might be the worst at his job in the NFL, after Campbell made an extra effort to spell the play out to him before the game.