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The Detroit Lions lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in one of the most chaotic endings to the season.
Penalty flags plagued the Lions’ final drive as Amon-Ra St. Brown was called for offensive pass interference on the final play, negating Jared Goff’s sideline touchdown. Five plays earlier, a St. Brown touchdown was taken off the board thanks to an Isaac TeSlaa penalty.
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Jared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions and wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa #18 celebrate a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Ford Field on December 21, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
Former New York Jets coach Rex Ryan suggested TeSlaa’s penalty was a prank and that St. Brown’s touchdown should have counted.
“They got the last one right, but they definitely got the last one wrong,” Ryan said on ESPN’s “Get Up.” “The defender on the St. Brown touchdown, he’s the one who initiated the contact on TeSlaa. He initiated the contact. It’s a horrible decision, and unfortunately it cost the Lions a win here and probably a playoff spot. So, yeah, it’s atrocious here.”
Ryan said St. Brown’s offensive pass interference penalty looked right in his eyes.
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Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell speaks with officials after the final play of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
“Now, on the last one, it was clearly a PI from Amon-Ra St. Brown. Yes, he goes in and as soon as he extends with both hands, it’s a penalty. … What St. Brown has to do in this situation is understand that this is going to be a three-man rush by Pittsburgh. And, quite honestly, it was just a two-handed rush. You’ll have time. You won’t need to separate. You’ve got plenty of time. And, unfortunately, that was the case.
“There’s no two ways about it. The first one at St. Brown was a touchdown. An absolute touchdown.”
Jared Goff agreed with Ryan on TeSlaa’s penalty.
“It’s a bad decision,” he said, adding that he didn’t want to make any excuses for the team’s loss.
Detroit’s playoff chances were seriously hurt by the loss. There is still hope but it is minimal.
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“We know the percentages. We know we’re not out. We know some things have to go our way,” Goff said. “I know who we are. I know who we can be. We didn’t fire on all cylinders on some plays.”
