Ross Gets a Lions’ Share of Blame

Next time, maybe Detroit Lion Coach Bobby Ross should go for the sure one, not the risky two.

After a decision to go for a two-point conversion came back to haunt the Lions, the Arizona Cardinals held on for a 23-19 victory Sunday to end the Lions’ winning streak at four.

“I decided to go for two points because I felt we were going to play it to win it. I thought it through. It wasn’t a spontaneous decision,” Ross said. “I could probably look back on it and kick myself in the teeth, but I’m not going to do that because I thought it through.”

Detroit trailed most of the game, but Terry Fair returned Michael Pittman’s fumble 35 yards for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 23-19 with 5:26 to play. To the amazement of the Cardinals (3-6), Ross decided not to kick the extra point, and Gus Frerotte’s pass was intercepted by Ronald McKinnon on the conversion attempt.

“There was no one open,” Frerotte said. “I kept moving and moving, trying to find somebody.”

The Lions (6-3) drove to the Arizona 11 in the final minutes, and would have had a chance to tie the game with a short field goal if they had kicked the extra point moments earlier. Instead, they were forced to go for the touchdown.

Frerotte threw three consecutive incompletions, the last one through Germane Crowell’s fingers with 1:08 to play, and the Cardinals ran out the clock.

The second-guessing got to Ross in the postgame news conference. “A lot of people are going to jump on this football team, and I don’t give a damn,” he said. “And I tell you what, this team is not going to quit.”

Then he stormed away.