Friday, November 23, 2012
Associated Press
DETROIT
Jim Schwartz threw a challenge flag when he didn’t need to and the Houston Texans made him regret it.
Shayne Graham’s 32-yard field goal with 2:21 left in overtime lifted Houston to a 34-31 win over the Detroit Lions on Thursday after their coach broke an NFL rule by attempting to challenge a scoring play.
“Obviously that’s a big break in the game for us,” Houston coach Gary Kubiak said. “But I think you make your breaks when you work your tail off.”
Detroit kicker Jason Hanson had a chance to get Schwartz off the hook, but his 47-yard field goal attempt on the fifth possession of the extra period hit the right upright.
Detroit might’ve won in regulation if its coach didn’t make a costly mistake.
Schwartz threw a challenge flag when Houston’s Justin Forsett scored on an 81-yard touchdown run in the third quarter after two Lions tackled him.
Replays showed Forsett’s left knee and elbow hit the turf near midfield, and the automatic review that accompanies all scoring plays probably would have taken the TD off the board. But NFL rules say that throwing the challenge flag on a scoring play negates the review — and is an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to boot.