Brad Allen isn't escaping the national spotlight just yet.
Fresh off a controversial game between the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys, Allen and his officiating crew will work another nationally televised game on Saturday between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday.
Down 21-20 in the final seconds, Lions head coach Dan Campbell sent his offense onto the field for a two-point conversion that could win them the game. Quarterback Jared Goff completed a pass to offensive lineman Taylor Decker, but the seemingly successful try was negated after the officials ruled that Decker did not report as eligible.
Video showed Decker among three Lions offensive linemen who approached Allen before the play. Decker and Penei Sewell were the first to reach Allen, who turned away before Dan Skipper reached the group. Allen then ruled that it was Skipper, not Decker, who had reported as eligible for the conversion.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
The Lions had two more chances to get the conversion, but they failed to find the endzone and left Dallas with a loss.
The two-point snafu was not the only controversial moment for Allen's crew in the game, let alone the season. Officials bungled a key tripping flag that was incorrectly called against the Cowboys instead of the Lions. Earlier in the year, Allen and Co. missed a blatant pass interference by the Green Bay Packers in their win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football.
While the Ravens (13-3) have clinched the AFC's No. 1 seed, their regular season finale will still carry playoff implications for the rival Steelers. At 9-7, Pittsburgh's postseason fate is up in the air. Even with a win, the team will need help to get one of the AFC's final wild card spots.
