Officials Reportedly Chose Not to Enforce Rule in Lions Win

Commanders player should have been ejected.

Washington Commanders defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw (99) celebrates with safety Quan Martin (20) | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

By the letter of the law, Washington Commanders defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw should have been ejected last weekend.

In a loss to the Detroit Lions, the veteran defender was seen making contact with an official.

Apparently, since his teammate was ejected on the play prior, a decision was made to not kick out another player on the next play.

According to ProFootballTalk, "After the very next play, a two-point conversion attempt after a Detroit touchdown, Kinlaw made contact with umpire Brandon Cruse. Kinlaw was flagged but not kicked out of the game. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the officials did not want to eject a player on consecutive plays. Of course, that shouldn’t matter. If a player does something for which he should be ejected, he should be ejected. That fact that someone else was properly ejected one play earlier is irrelevant."

Supporters and pundits took to social media to then ask the natural question: So anything goes the next play after a player is ejected?

When rules are not enforced, it sets a really bad precedent for officials, whose job is to simply enforce the established rules, not make up excuses for why they do not enforce them.

It is not expected that Kinlaw will be suspended, but should be fined for his actions in a Week 10 loss to Dan Campbell's squad.

So on the play after a player is ejected ... anything goes? https://t.co/YVuWUWw9E7

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) November 12, 2025

Was eight games enough to evaluate John Morton?

The Lions made the decision to switch offensive play-callers after a total of eight games.

Campbell was asked this week if that was enough time to evaluate offensive coordinator John Morton.

"Yeah, eight games, you can figure out a lot in eight games about what you are, what you’re not, where you’re at, all this and that. But the bottom line, even from where I sit, don’t forget Ben (Johnson), I called those games," said Campbell. "I called whatever that was, eight or nine games. I don’t remember what it was - in ’21 while he helped me. He watched, he learned, he saw how I ran it, how I wanted to run it, what I was looking for. And then it evolved, he evolved it from there.

"He took it, he knew exactly what I wanted and by the middle of ’22, I didn’t have to say a word. I mean he was - and so, that’s kind of where John (Morton) is right now, that’s all. It’s good," Campbell added. "And sometimes that’s the best way to really know what somebody’s looking for is just going through that. So, look, I just feel like it’s the right thing to do right now and I’m going to do it. Am I perfect? No, I’m not perfect. Players are going to have to bail me out. They bailed me out yesterday on a couple of things. Jared Goff bailed me out. The staff bailed me out. But that’s what teamwork’s about. We’ve got to all help each other out.”