DETROIT -- The Atlanta Falcons escaped Detroit, holding on for a victory thanks in part to an NFL rule that went in their favor.
Matthew Stafford's pass to Golden Tate was ruled to be just short of the end zone in the final seconds after a review, allowing Atlanta to beat the Lions 30-26 on Sunday.
The call on the field was touchdown when Stafford connected with Tate on a slant from the 1 with eight seconds left, but it was overturned because the receiver was down before the football reached the goal line. By rule, 10 seconds had to run off the clock and that ended the game because Detroit didn't have any timeouts.
"Had the call on the field been correct initially, the clock would have run out," FOX analyst Dean Blandino, an ex-NFL officiating chief, explained in a tweet: "That's the spirit of the rule."
Lions Coach Jim Caldwell agreed that the call was made correctly and the rule was applied properly. He added, though, that Stafford could have taken another snap if the call on the field was made correctly initially that Tate was down inside the 1.
"Certainly," Caldwell said. "We practice it all the time."
Cornerback Marcus Trufant, who extended Detroit's last drive with two penalties, was unaware of the rule that proved to be favorable for the Falcons.
"I thought we were going to have to play another down," Trufant acknowledged.
The defending NFC champion Falcons (3-0) overcame Matt Ryan's three interceptions and many other mistakes.
Trufant was called for pass interference in the end zone on a third-and-10 from the Atlanta 19, giving the Lions a first down at the 1 with 19 seconds left. Trufant was flagged for holding on a second-and-30 from the Falcons 38 earlier in the drive, allowing Detroit pick up a first down.
Detroit (2-1) never led in the game, and failed to pull off another comeback in the fourth quarter.
"I wish I could've gotten us in," Stafford said. "It's kind of what I do, and didn't get it done."
Ryan hadn't thrown an interception in nine games, including three games during the last postseason, before getting picked off three times at Ford Field. Safety Glover Quin stepped in front of one pass and returned it 37 yards for a score in the second quarter, cutting Atlanta's lead to 17-13. His other two interceptions were deflected, one through Mohamed Sanu's hands.
Ryan finished 24 of 35 for 294 yards with a tiebreaking, 40-yard touchdown pass to Taylor Gabriel early in the fourth on a screen and a 4-yard strike to Sanu early in the game.
Sports on 09/25/2017