In a devastating Week 17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the Detroit Lions' hopes for a go-ahead score were crushed by a controversial penalty. Head coach Dan Campbell, who was visibly heated by the decision, finally had the opportunity to address the situation on Monday and shed light on the Lions' strategy during the play.

The key moment occurred when the Lions' go-ahead 2-point conversion was negated due to an ineligible receiver penalty. Initially, it was believed that Taylor Decker had reported as eligible to the official, but further review determined that it was actually Dan Skipper. Although Decker successfully caught the pass that could have given the Lions the lead, their efforts were thwarted by the penalty.

Campbell, like many in the NFL world, expressed his frustration about the turn of events. On Monday, he explained the thought process behind the team's pre-snap strategy, which involved a few offensive linemen engaging in conversation with the official. Campbell revealed that the intention was to create confusion for the opposing defense by presenting three different eligible receivers.

"It's about eligibility. That's what it's about. And it has nothing to do with the ref. The ref knows. He knows. Because 68 reported," Campbell emphasized during his statement, according to Pro Football Talk. "It's for the defense, so that they see three different people. And you're just hoping they happen to not hear that it's 70. That's all."

Campbell made it clear that during the postgame press conference and his subsequent media availability, he informed the officials about the scenario. However, head referee Brad Allen was notably absent from the meeting, as reported by Pro Football Talk.

In the wake of the heart-wrenching loss, Campbell expressed his determination to channel his frustration into motivation for the team. Refusing to dwell on self-pity, he declared that the Lions were on a mission and would not let the setback define them.

"I don't go the other way and the team won't either. We are on a mission and we're not going to feel sorry for ourselves and wallow in everything," Campbell asserted, as reported by NFL.com. "We had plays to make and we didn't make them. It's a tight game, a good opponent, playoff-type atmosphere, and you have to make that one extra play, and we didn't."

Despite the controversial penalty that ultimately cost them the game, the Lions and their head coach are determined to learn from their mistakes and use them as fuel to drive their future performances.