Did Officials Botch Jared Goff Trick-Play?

The general consensus regarding the penalty that cost Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff an early touchdown was there involved a significant amount of confusion.

Goff was called for illegal motion, but the officials needed far too much time to throw a flag, leading many to question if the league called in to assist with the understanding of the rules.

On the television broadcast, rules analyst Terry McCauley quickly informed viewers, "He (Goff) takes a position behind the center. He’s got to step back and pause for a second and establish as a back before he goes in motion. He didn’t. He stayed in motion. This is illegal. This is an illegal formation.”

Referee Craig Wrolstad shared following Sunday Night Football in a pool report that it was determined Goff did not properly reset behind the line of scrimmage and establish himself as a back.

"There were a lot of moving parts on that play. We had a quarterback go up to the line of scrimmage. He paused momentarily in the quarterback position, didn't get under center, but he walked up and stopped like he was the quarterback," Wrolstad explained. "Then, he went in motion, and they threw the ball to him for a touchdown. If the quarterback assumes the position and then goes in motion, he has to then stop for a second before they snap the ball.

"Because he gets out of the view and some of the officials, we had to piece it together as a crew as to whether he stopped initially and then whether he stopped when he went in motion."