New Lions LB Damone Clark knows knows playing time isn't guaranteed
New Detroit Lions LB Damone Clark was a player at LSU when now-Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard was the school's director of player development.
The Detroit Lions got the better of the Dallas Cowboys on a 2-point play that was overturned on a controversial penalty late in the 2023 season, but linebacker Damone Clark was ready for his new team’s trick-play shenanigans the second time around. Clark, who signed a one-year deal with the Lions on Wednesday, March 18, broke up a tackle-eligible pass from Jared Goff to Taylor Decker in the end zone in the third quarter of the Lions’ 47-9 blowout of the Cowboys in 2024. HELP ON THE EDGE: Why Detroit Lions picked D.
J. Wonnum over Al-Quadin Muhammad Clark recalled his role in that play and the wild 2023 sequence in a conference call with Detroit reporters Wednesday. He said defensive players “need to be prepared” against the Lions “cause those guys are going to be physical and they’re going to outsmart you,” and he promised not to let his guard down on those types of plays now that he’s in Detroit.
“You got to know it’s a copycat league so everybody’s going to do it,” Clark said. “You just got to be prepared for it and have your antennas up. ” The Cowboys beat the Lions, 20-19, in a primetime showdown in 2023 when the Lions scored a late touchdown but had the go-ahead two-point conversion overturned on an illegal touching penalty.
Officials wrongly announced swing tackle Dan Skipper as reporting eligible on the play , when Goff threw complete to Decker for what appeared to be the go-ahead points. Clark said he remembers Skipper and Penei Sewell approaching referee Brad Allen before the snap. “I don’t remember what was being said or anything, but I know obviously if they’re walking up, they’re telling him, ‘Hey, I’m eligible,’” Clark said.