The Detroit Lions’ 2-point win over the Dallas Cowboys was overturned late in the 2023 season on a controversial call, but linebacker Damone Clark is ready for a second dose of shenanigans with his new team.
Clark, who signed a one-year contract with the Lions on Wednesday, March 18, intercepted a tackle-eligible pass from Jared Goff to Taylor Decker in the end zone in the third quarter of the Lions’ 47-9 victory over the Cowboys in 2024.
INGLEWOOD, CA – DECEMBER 27: Damo Clark #31 of the Houston Texans against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on December 27, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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Clark reflected on his role on the show and the wild 2023 scenario during a conference call with Detroit reporters on Wednesday.
He said the defense “needs to be ready” against the Lions “because these guys are so physical and they’re going to outsmart you,” promising not to let his guard down on these types of plays now that he’s in Detroit.
“You have to understand this is a copycat league, so everyone does it,” Clark said. “You have to be prepared and put up your antenna.”
The Cowboys defeated the Lions 20-19 in the 2023 primetime matchup when the Lions scored a late touchdown but had a two-point lead overturned due to an illegal touching penalty.
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Officials mistakenly declared swing tackle Dan Skipper eligible to report the play when Goff threw the ball to Decker for what appeared to be a leading score.
Clark said he remembers Skipper and Penny Sewell approaching referee Brad Allen before kickoff.
Detroit Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker (68) catches and scores in the end zone during the second half of the Detroit Lions’ game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday, December 30, 2023. The play was flagged for illegal touching.
“I don’t remember what was said, but I obviously knew that if they came up to him, they were going to tell him, ‘Hey, I’m qualified,'” Clark said. “I’m not going to sit here and act like I know what they’re saying, but all I knew was, I was in Dallas and we were winning.”
The Lions got their revenge 10 months later in the 2024 rematch, pulling off a slew of tricks — including a lateral attack against Sewell — to pull off a blowout victory.
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On his pass breakout, Clark initially bit on a run fake on a first down at the 2, but recovered in time to knock down Goff’s pass to Decker. The Cowboys forced the Lions into field goals in that series.
Clark, a fourth-round pick out of LSU in 2022, had his most productive season as a pro with the Cowboys in 2023, when he racked up a team-high 109 tackles and a fumble recovery.
He’s played more on special teams than defense the past two seasons — the Cowboys cut Clark last November, and he ends the 2025 season with the Houston Texans — but he may have a chance to jump-start his career while playing for a familiar face in Detroit.
Clark worked closely with Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Shepard when Shepard served as LSU’s director of player development in 2020, and the two have stayed in touch since.
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The Lions return Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes at linebacker, but have one starting job open after Alex Anzalone left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency. Malcolm Rodriguez and Trevor Novak are the only other linebackers currently on the roster.
“I’m blessed to be here and be coached by Shep because I know what he does off the ball, and this is no different,” Clark said. “He’s always going to take a straight shot at you. Like I mentioned, it doesn’t matter because I know Shep. I talked to him today and at the end of the day, I need to do what I have to do. There are no nerds in this business. You need to come in, put your head down and go to work, and the best guy is going to win.”
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him: dbirkett@freepress.com. follow him blue sky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared in the Detroit Free Press: Damone Clark and friends with Kelvin Sheppard: ‘There are no nerds in this industry’