On Thursday night, the Detroit Lions — a sad, sad franchise with one playoff victory in 50 years — lost to the Green Bay Packers on a 61-yard Hail Mary touchdown with no time remaining. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the play was the second longest game-ending TD from scrimmage in NFL history.
Aaron Rodgers' TD pass was 2nd-longest come-from-behind game-ending TD from scrimmage
Earl Morrall, 1960 Lions (65, pass) via @eliassports
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 4, 2015
The Hail Mary was the result of an un-timed down because of a facemask penalty on the previous play. It was a controversial call and one that was somewhat defended by the NFL’s dean of officiating Dean Blandino.
“You know, it’s one that it’s really close and so we made the call. I think when you watch the play live, I was just like everybody else. You thought, “That’s a facemask,” and then you see the replay and it’s a lot closer than it initially seemed. But again, hand up near the mask, finger caught in the bottom bar and the head does turn.”
Hand up to the mask, quick grab with finger and head gets turned. At full speed official is going to make that call almost every time.
— Dean Blandino (@DeanBlandino) December 4, 2015
Notice that Blandino didn’t exactly defend the call, just said it’s something the officials will do “almost every time.”
Moving on…
Perhaps the most entertaining part of the Hail Mary was the reaction on the Lions sideline from Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. It quickly turned into a meme.
goodnight pic.twitter.com/d2BD643HIQ
— nick (@nick_pants) December 4, 2015
Are the Lions a cursed franchise? Well, maybe?
The Browns even think it's messed up how the Lions lost.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) December 4, 2015
Some things are legitimately written in stone and the Detroit Lions always being losers is one of them.
— KFC (@KFCBarstool) December 4, 2015
Or maybe Jim Caldwell gets paid millions of dollars to make horrific decisions.
Caldwell said they were expecting a lateral play instead of a Hail Mary https://t.co/xnIcF9H4EW
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) December 4, 2015
https://twitter.com/saisureshhh/status/672639622099410944
And the fans? Oh man, the fans. They took this loss pretty hard.
https://twitter.com/barstoolsports/status/672653807206187008
When the @NFL hates you pic.twitter.com/0VOAPaq1RE
— Detroit Tigers Fans (@DTigersFanss) December 4, 2015
@DragonflyJonez pic.twitter.com/0KLYrWAZ2W
— Mark 🔴⚫️ (@MilanistaMark) December 4, 2015
We now go live to Detroit: https://t.co/JGG9o4vkJj pic.twitter.com/o4QNLQ1muX
— SB Nation (@SBNation) December 4, 2015
https://twitter.com/_NPOB/status/672640314306244608
WELP pic.twitter.com/Mk00M2nC7J
— Steve Noah (@Steve_OS) December 4, 2015
As for me, a diehard Detroit Lions fan, I’m just wondering why they don’t know how to cover a Hail Mary.
https://twitter.com/WorldofIsaac/status/672641199400992768
https://twitter.com/WorldofIsaac/status/672650463137894400
