Detroit Lions accused of cheating against Los Angeles Rams in NFL thriller

The Detroit Lions have been accused of cheating for having their blue-and-silver jerseys “camouflaged” by the end zone colors during the win over the Los Angeles Rams .

In the first Sunday Night Football contest of the season, the Lions clinched a 26-20 overtime win against the Rams . Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was exceptional, throwing for 317 yards along with a touchdown and an interception as he returned to Detroit.

However, the Los Angeles defense had no answer to the bully ball ground game of the Lions in overtime, which ended when David Montgomery burst into the end zone. But one moment stood out to fans watching on, as Stafford appeared to be duped leading to a key error.

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Deep in the second quarter, the Rams engineered a fine nine-play, 62-yard drive to the red zone, where the NFC West franchise didn’t tally a single turnover across the 2023 NFL season. But Stafford was caught out as the Lions donned blue-and-silver uniforms that were identical in color to the end zone and nearby wall.

Stafford was undone by the color clash, pressured by Aidan Hutchinson as he threw toward receiver Tyler Johnson only for Lions safety Kerby Joseph to step in. The 36-year-old held his helmet in his hands after the interception, with commentators speculating if he even saw Joseph.

The play and potential camouflage split fans. One took to X to post “Kind of genius by Lions” while another added “Home Field Advantage.”

But others were more critical. Some fans questioned if the tactic was “illegal”, with one user writing: “Is that even legal?”

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The Rams ultimately recovered in the second half, with Cooper Kupp scoring a touchdown to lead 20-17 in the fourth quarter. Detroit tied the score with a late field goal to send the game to overtime - the first instance of the additional period in the 2024 NFL season - before Montgomery took over.

The game was an intriguing battle between the two franchises involved in the high-profile trade that saw the teams swap quarterbacks. Rams quarterback Stafford enjoyed 12 seasons with the Lions before being dealt for a package that included Jared Goff, two first-round picks, and a third-round selection.

Both teams have emerged as winners of the deal. Stafford led the Rams to victory in Super Bowl LVI, while the Lions are set up with high-level talent across the roster after reaching the NFC Championship last season. For some, Sunday night’s game could be. preview of the NFC Championship in January.

In their next games, Detroit host the 1-0 Tampa Bay Buccaneers while the Rams will travel to take on the 0-1 Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.