Getty Dan Campbell talks to the referees in Green Bay.
The Detroit Lions have not made a habit of getting the benefit of the doubt from referees through the years, but Dan Campbell isn’t interested in wallowing in that misery.
Though the Lions didn’t get an official apology from the league for the play clock kerfuffle, Campbell didn’t seem to be too disappointed about that fact.
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Speaking to the media on Friday, October 1 in an interview posted to DetroitLions.com, Campbell said he had discussions with the league and was basically told that play clock calls are subjective. As he said, he is over talking about it as a whole.
“I didn’t turn it into the league, but I called. It is really a subjective call is what it came down to so I think they’re kind of split on it. You guys have heard the procedure on it. To be honest with you, I’m so over it now,” Campbell said.
As to why Campbell is so eager to move on, he pointed to his experience with the New Orleans Saints given some of the calls that went against them yet the amount of winning the team was able to do.
“I came from a place where we didn’t have some great calls go our way either and we won a lot of games, so I don’t use that as an excuse. Man, you make your own luck. We’ll find our luck, because we’ll earn it and make it happen,” Campbell said.
Finding a way to reverse the mindset with the refs could be as simple as this for Detroit and their fans, at least Campbell hopes it can be.
Referee Explanation for Lions-Ravens Finish
So what did the referees say for themselves after the game? Not much, other than to say they weren’t sure if there should have been a penalty called. According to Chris Burke of The Athletic, referee Scott Novak said in the pool report after the game he did not know if there was a missed call.
Per the pool report, referee Scott Novak said that he hasn’t had a chance to review the possible delay of game so he has “no idea” whether there was a missed call.
“I don’t know if they’re synced up or not,” Novak said of the play clock on screen vs. the in-stadium clock.
Justin Rogers of the Detroit News spoke with Novak on the phone, who also admitted his confidence in the back judge having the time right on the field.
Got off the phone with official Scott Novak. He hadn’t yet reviewed the play, but said he was unsure how the broadcast clock matched up with field clock, but was confident the back judge was in position to properly execute mechanics of monitoring the play clock on the snap.
The fact that nothing else came of this seems to indicate the league was happy with what transpired. That’s not something that will be music to Lions fans ears, but it might be no less true.
Campbell Taking Right Approach for Lions With Referees
Though Lions fans remain miffed by the outcome of the play, Campbell is taking just about the best possible approach by moving on. As the coach knows, complaining isn’t going to get the franchise anywhere, nor has it worked through the years. Instead, Campbell seems to understand that the best way to move on is to try to change the narrative with hard work and better play on the field in order to push through.
Campbell doesn’t want the Lions wallowing in any sorrow, which is the best news as he tries to change the team’s culture.
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