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'Decker reported' billboards appear around Detroit after Lions' controversial loss

kylie martin, detroit free press
·1 min read
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While the Detroit Lions claim to be moving on from Saturday night's controversial 20-19 loss against the Dallas Cowboys, fans are using digital billboards across metro Detroit to announce that they, in fact, are not.

“Decker Reported” can be seen on a billboard at I-696 near John R. Road in Hazel Park, Mich., on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. The billboard references a controversial referee call at the end of the recent Detroit Lions game against the Dallas Cowboys that cost the Lions the win.
“Decker Reported” can be seen on a billboard at I-696 near John R. Road in Hazel Park, Mich., on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. The billboard references a controversial referee call at the end of the recent Detroit Lions game against the Dallas Cowboys that cost the Lions the win.
A billboard references a controversial referee call at the end of the recent Detroit Lions game against the Dallas Cowboys that cost the Lions the win near I-696 near John R. Road in Hazel Park, Mich., on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024.
A billboard references a controversial referee call at the end of the recent Detroit Lions game against the Dallas Cowboys that cost the Lions the win near I-696 near John R. Road in Hazel Park, Mich., on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024.

Several billboard messages have popped up alongside Interstate 75 and I-696 in metro Detroit this week, flashing between a screen that reads "DECKER REPORTED" in big, bold letters and the Lions' current record 11-5 crossed out with the 12-4 suggested record beside it.

"DECKER REPORTED" is referring to Taylor Decker, the Lions offensive lineman who caught the Lions' go-ahead two-point conversion that was nullified. Referees flagged him for illegal touching, saying he was an ineligible receiver despite video footage suggesting Decker reported his eligibility to officials. The 12-4 billboard suggests the Lions would have won had the call not happened.

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Since then, the NFL has reportedly attempted to clarify its reporting rules, including sending a refresher video on Tuesday to the league's teams using clips of the Lions-Cowboys game to illustrate the eligibility-reporting process.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 'Decker reported' billboards appear around Detroit after Lions loss