NFL Referee Explains Controversial Ending To Lions vs. Steelers

Originally posted on The Spun | By Daniel Bates | Last updated Dec 22, 2025 9:48 AM ET

In a week full of wild NFL finishes, Sunday's evening window game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions might've been the wildest.

Down 29-24 inside the Steelers' 10-yard line with eight seconds left in the fourth quarter, Jared Goff connected on an eight-yard pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown who was pushed back several yards by Pittsburgh defenders before lateraling the ball back to his quarterback who then ran the ball into the end zone.

While at the moment it looked as if the Lions had won the game, the game-winning score was eventually called back thanks to an offensive pass interference call on St. Brown — ending the game and giving the Steelers their ninth victory of the season.

Dec 21, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) attempts to make a catch during the fourth quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images© David Reginek-Imagn Images

Carl Cheffers: 'It is a pretty complex play'

Following the game, veteran referee Carl Cheffers was asked about the controversial ruling in the NFL's pool report — leading to fairly lengthy explanation of the sequence of events as he and the rest of the officials saw it.

“The official who called the foul said that the receiver created separation that gave him an advantage in catching the pass,” Cheffers said, via the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. "So, he called pass interference."

“It is a pretty complex play,” he explained. “We had the original player, who had the ball, lose possession of the ball. So, we had to decide if that was a fumble or backwards pass because, of course, we have restrictions on the recovery of the fumble inside of two minutes. We ruled that it was a backwards pass, so the recovering player was able to advance it, and that recovering player advanced it for a touchdown."

“We had to rule on that, and then because of the pass interference, it negates the touchdown," Cheffers continued. "Because it is an offensive foul, we do not extend the half. Therefore, there is no score, and there is no replay of the down.”

UNBELIEVABLE ENDING TO THE LIONS AND STEELERS GAME

WTF JUST HAPPENED pic.twitter.com/3M7WKYQ9NI
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) December 22, 2025

Lions HC Dan Campbell not blaming refs for loss

As disappointing as the Week 16 loss was for Dan Campbell and the Lions, Detroit's head coach admitted that the team has no one to pin it on but themselves.

"We weren't able to close it out. And at the end of the day, that's on us," Campbell told ESPN.com. "We did that. We're the ones who put ourselves in that position to where we had to try to score on the last play."

"You can't feel sorry for yourself. It doesn't mean it doesn't sting, it doesn't feel bad," the coach added. "But we have nobody to blame but ourselves. It's on us. And it's also on us to finish. We've got two to go."

The Lions' playoff chances took a severe hit on Sunday. As of right now, they only have a 6% chance of advancing to the postseason, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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