Saints' scoop-and-score negated after controversial call bails out Lions

The New Orleans Saints thought they had their first touchdown of the season Sunday in Detroit , coming via a dramatic scoop and score.

Then the referees took it away from them.

With the Lions leading, 7-0, QB Jared Goff dropped back to pass midway through the second quarter, and he was quickly met by Saints pass rusher Chase Young , who knocked the ball loose as Goff went to throw.

The ball caromed backward nearly 15 yards, and it was picked up and run back for an apparent score by Saints DB Jonas Sanker . That would have tied the game at 7-7.

But replay review wiped out the TD. The ruling was an incomplete pass. But how?

Fox officiating expert Mike Pereira tried his best to explain the play — and why the TD was negated.

"[Goff] had started his throwing motion," Pereira said. "Now, throwing motion is bringing the ball up — forget about the hand at this point going forward. Throwing motion starts, hand goes up, then it's hit, ball comes loose. His intent was to throw it forward. And since that motion had already started, that's going to be a forward pass — no matter where it lands."

The Saints are likely going to disagree with that, no matter how the letter of the law is written. Determining Goff's intent on the throw feels suspect, even if a forward pass felt imminent.

Expect to hear more about this call beyond Sunday.