The NFL has quickly and not so quietly absolved Brad Allen and his crew of any blame for a disaster in Week 17’s Dallas Cowboys-Detroit Lions game.
The Cowboys escaped with a 20-19 win after a controversial illegal touching call on the Lions’ potential game-winning 2-point conversion. Taylor Decker, the unlikely receiver, caught the pass, but officials ruled he didn’t report as eligible.
Despite the overhead camera angle from ESPN clearly showing Decker walking over to the officials before the play, Allen, the crew chief for the game, detailed in his post-game report that Lions offensive lineman Dan Skipper reported as eligible before the game, but not Decker.
Referee Brad Allen lays out all the things he saw to indicate the #Lions were operating like Taylor Decker was eligible, not Dan Skipper … but insists Skipper is the one who reported. https://t.co/2dARBgA323
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 31, 2023
So, while Allen has been under heavy fire, and there have been calls for the NFL to demote him and his crew, the league — somewhat curiously – has elected to thrust him back into the national spotlight. On Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter relayed that Allen and his crew had been assigned to Saturday’s Steelers-Ravens game on ESPN.
Referee Brad Allen and his crew — who last worked Saturday night’s Lions-Cowboys game — have been assigned to Saturday’s Steelers-Ravens game on ESPN. So back on national television. pic.twitter.com/q5Uqo2j1tU
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 2, 2024
While the league has chosen to move past this ordeal without incident, toeing the company line while refusing to throw its officials under the bus, it’s a curious decision at best to put Allen right back into the national spotlight for a game that’s in an unopposed viewing window.
Putting Allen and his crew back on national television is a gamble for the NFL. If another officiating gaffe occurs, the backlash could be even more intense, especially with playoff assignments on the horizon. Has the NFL genuinely moved past the controversy, or is this assignment a veiled test of Allen’s ability to handle pressure under the microscope? The Steelers-Ravens game could provide some answers or raise more questions.
Only time will tell if Allen’s return to primetime is a true recipe for disaster.
