DETROIT – Midway through the third quarter of Thursday's game at Ford Field, Texans running back Justin Forsett scored on a controversial 81-yard touchdown run.
Forsett took a handoff from Matt Schaub on second-and-10 with 6:50 remaining in the quarter. He gained about eight yards up the middle before he was hit and his knee and elbow touched the field, but the whistle never blew. Forsett kept running all the way to the end zone, and it was ruled a touchdown.
The play would have been overturned because all scoring plays are automatically reviewed, but Lions coach Jim Schwartz immediately through a challenge flag. Challenging a score automatically results in a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Challenging a score before the replay official initiates a review makes the play unreviewable.
The fans at Ford Field erupted in heavy boos and chants of profanity, vocalizing their displeasure with the referees. Forsett's touchdown, the longest run of his career, made the score 24-21 in favor of Detroit with 6:35 remaining in the third quarter.
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