The Detroit Lions pulled off a savvy trick to get the New York Giants flagged for a penalty. The Giants booted the opening kickoff of the second half towards the sideline. Return man Andre Roberts could have tried to pick up the ball and run to salvage whatever yards he could, but instead he kicked his foot out of bounds and fell on the ball.
Lions used the same kickoff trick that the Packers used against them earlier this season
The Lions tricked the Giants into committing an illegal kickoff penalty by using a move the Packers used against them.
Roberts was technically out of bounds when he recovered the kick, and a ball that comes in contact with an out-of-bounds player is also considered to be out of bounds. That made the Giants’ kickoff illegal, giving the Lions great starting field position at their own 40-yard line upon enforcement of the penalty.
The Lions may have picked up on the trick from a division rival. The Green Bay Packers did the exact same thing to them during their meeting in September, and have done it in past seasons as well.
It’s a clever move that takes advantage of a loophole in the NFL rulebook. The Lions have a long, contentious history with officiating, but in this instance they were able to bend the rules to their advantage.
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