Rules Analyst Explains Rams Touchdown Against Lions

Controversy was once again at the center of a pivotal moment of a Detroit Lions game.

On Sunday, the Lions were in the middle of a heated battle against the Los Angeles Rams, who remain the No. 1 seed in the NFC. With the Lions leading 24-20 midway through the third quarter, their fortunes were turned upside down.

Facing a first-and-10 on the Lions' 26-yard line, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford dialed up a shot in the direction of tight end Colby Parkinson. With Lions' safety Daniel Thomas in coverage, the ball was well-placed and lofted into the outstretched hands of the receiver. Thomas was unable to make a play on the ball, and the initial call on the field was a touchdown for Parkinson and the Rams.

The play was quickly under review, as all scoring plays are in the NFL. Replay footage appeared to show Parkinson being down short of the goal line, along with a possible bobble of the ball that would not constitute a catch.

However, when the dust settled, referee Alan Eck and his crew elected to uphold the call on the field of a touchdown. The play turned the momentum of the game, giving the Rams the lead in a game they would ultimately win 41-34.

Rules Analyst @DeanBlandino takes us through this call that was ultimately ruled a touchdown for the Rams ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/blmIKtRds0
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 14, 2025

In the moments following Parkinson's catch, FOX NFL officiating analyst Dean Blandino attempted to make sense of the call on the broadcast with Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady.

"What they ruled is that Parkinson lost control, regained possession in the end zone, he had already broken the plane," Blandino said. "To me, that's a stretch. Look, it was ruled a catch, he was clearly down. That should be down at the one. I can't see how we're keeping that a touchdown."

The play came at the most inopportune of times, as it came in the midst of a run of 20 unanswered points for the Rams. Los Angeles turned a 24-14 deficit into a 34-24 lead on the heels of a red-hot third quarter.

"They were just having some success running the ball, and then play-action off of that. I don't know, I'd have to watch it," said defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. "Everything was really happening quickly, where it was not really going our way and couldn't find a way to stop the bleeding. Definitely something that we'll have to look at, though. It looked like it was gonna be one of those games, those offensive games where it just is what it is. I thought we played pretty good in the first half with that in mind. But that third quarter got away from us a little bit."

With the loss, the Lions remain on the outside of the playoff picture as the eighth seed in the NFC. With three games to play, the team no longer controls its destiny for the postseason.

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