In a nail-biting 48-42 loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Detroit Lions' last-ditch onside kick attempt nearly paid off, highlighting the struggles teams face with this rarely successful play. Bills cornerback Taron Johnson found himself in a scrum, fighting to secure the ball as the game clock ticked down.

"It was a chaotic situation, lots of grabbing and pinching – let's just say some fingers were in places they shouldn't have been," Johnson commented, according to WROC-TV. "But we managed to come out on top."

Johnson ultimately recovered the kick, which Lions kicker Jake Bates aimed towards the middle of the field, hoping to catch the Bills off guard. This strategy, however, underscored the difficulty of recovering onside kicks under the current rules, which require teams to announce their intention beforehand.

Earlier in the fourth quarter, the Lions tried another onside kick, also unsuccessfully. Bills receiver Mack Hollins returned it to Detroit's 5-yard line, setting up a Buffalo touchdown on the very next play.

Lions coach Dan Campbell later admitted his regret over the decision, stating, "I thought we had a chance, but in hindsight, I wish we hadn't tried it."

The Lions' struggles reflect a league-wide trend. Going into Week 15, only three out of 41 onside kick attempts had been successful.

NFL executive Troy Vincent acknowledged the issue, calling the onside kick a "dead play" and suggesting the competition committee needs to re-evaluate the rules. He emphasized the need for every play to be competitive and suggested exploring options to make the onside kick viable again, whether that involves revisiting the restrictions on blocking or allowing attempts in any quarter.

Last year, the Philadelphia Eagles proposed an alternative to the traditional onside kick, suggesting a 4th-and-20 attempt from the team's own 20-yard line. A successful conversion would result in retaining possession.