Saints touchdown nullified as Jared Goff fumble overturned in Lions 31-30 overtime win The New Orleans Saints had a defensive touchdown wiped out after Jared Goff's fumble was ruled an incomplete pass because he had started his throwing motion, and the Detroit Lions went on to win 31-30 in overtime. The New Orleans Saints had a defensive touchdown taken off the board in their Week 1 game against the Detroit Lions after an apparent Jared Goff fumble was overturned and ruled an incomplete pass. The Lions went on to win 31-30 in overtime. The NFL season's first major officiating controversy revealed a rule unknown to millions of fans. The Saints were trailing the Lions 7-0 in the second quarter in Detroit when New Orleans defensive end Chase Young hit quarterback Jared Goff and knocked the ball loose. Saints safety Jonas Sanker scooped up the football and carried it into the end zone untouched for an easy touchdown return.The play was initially ruled a Jared Goff fumble and a Saints touchdown. Despite the ball traveling backward after leaving Goff's hand, the defensive touchdown was soon wiped off the board following an official review. Officials determined that Goff had started his throwing motion. The call hinged on the NFL rule that a forward pass is incomplete if the quarterback has started his throwing motion and is hit, causing the ball to come loose, regardless of where the ball lands.That interpretation gave Detroit possession and erased a potential Saints score. The explanation left many confused. Mike Pereira, the NFL rules analyst for Fox Sports, explained the reasoning behind the bizarre decision, only creating more confusion with the introduction of a little-known rule that defies logic. Pereira said, Goff had started his throwing motion.Now, throwing motion is considered bringing the ball up. Forget about the hand at this point going forward. Throwing motion starts with his hand going up.Then he is hit, ball comes loose. His intent was to throw it forward. Since that motion had already started, that is going to be an incomplete pass, no matter where it lands. Taking intent into consideration feels like a gray area, especially during a bang-bang play.The explanation that it does not matter where the football actually lands makes the rule even more confusing. Nevertheless, the Saints' touchdown was wiped off the board. The Lions ultimately punted at the end of the drive, and Detroit took a 7-0 lead into halftime. Goff finished the first half without a turnover on that drive.Head coach Kellen Moore of the New Orleans Saints looked on during the first half at Ford Field on September 13, 2026, in Detroit, Michigan. Goff, wearing number 16, was seen warming up prior to the game at Ford Field. The reversal proved pivotal. New Orleans tied the score on a Juwan Johnson 9-yard touchdown catch with 1:07 remaining in regulation.The Saints then had a chance to win it on the final play of regulation, but Daniel Carlson's 62-yard kick went wide, sending the game to overtime. The Lions subsequently won the game 31-30, although the Saints had an opportunity to tie it late in overtime but instead went for the win on the road with over a minute left. New Orleans was left to wonder what might have been after Sanker's return was negated.The Saints defense, which had celebrated a touchdown moments earlier, had to regroup. The reversal could go down as the strangest sequence of the year, even though the 2026 NFL season is not yet a full week old. The play will likely be debated for weeks.