Green Bay Packers players voiced sharp frustration with officiating following a 20-17 road loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Controversial roughing-the-passer flags and a disputed third-quarter penalty fueled anger in the locker room, even as head coach Matt LaFleur kept his public comments measured.
The Detroit Lions defended home turf at Ford Field with a 20-17 victory that moved Green Bay to a 4-3 record. Jake Bates hit a field goal as time expired to end the game.
Packers Players Blast Officiating Standards After Lions Loss
Matt LaFleur bit his tongue when reporters asked about the officiating following the hard-fought division matchup. His players held nothing back.
“I don’t know how the NFL’s going to treat it, but I’m not a big fan of the refs right now,” McKinney said. “I don’t think it’s great officiating, if I’m being completely honest. It’s bulls— a lot of the times.”
Xavier McKinney, All-Pro safety
The flags piled up quickly for a Green Bay defense that has been penalized eight times for roughing the passer over the first seven games of the season. Brenton Cox Jr. and Karl Brooks drew critical flags during Detroit scoring drives in the second half.
Cox was penalized in the third quarter when he fell headlong into Jared Goff, setting up a drive that reached the Green Bay 6-yard line.
Brooks drew another roughing-the-passer call late in the fourth quarter just as Goff released a pass to Sam LaPorta. Fox Sports analysts on the broadcast, including Tom Brady and Dean Blandino, questioned the validity of the calls. Blandino said I don't like it as roughing.
Umpire Terry Killens Jr. Knocked Down During Third-Quarter Play
The most chaotic sequence occurred midway through the third quarter with Green Bay holding a 14-10 lead. Jared Goff targeted Amon-Ra St. Brown on a short pass that gained four yards. St. Brown went to the ground, got back up, and continued running, prompting Devonte Wyatt to tackle him again.
During the scramble, St. Brown’s cleat appeared to make contact with umpire Terry Killens Jr. and knocked him down. Flat on his back, Killens threw a penalty flag that resulted in an unnecessary roughness call against Wyatt.
“There was no whistle blown, and the guy continued to run, and our guy didn’t hear a whistle — he continued to play too, and then we get called for a penalty,” LaFleur said.
Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers coach
Referee Alex Moore defended the ruling in a pool report, stating that the crew ruled the play over regardless of whether an audible whistle reached the field. Two plays later, Goff connected with Jameson Williams on a 10-yard touchdown pass to pull ahead 17-14.
Missed Opportunities and Red Zone Struggles Cost Green Bay
Green Bay went 1-for-3 in the red zone and stumbled on special teams when Trey Smack missed two short field goals—a 26-yarder wide right in the first quarter and a 35-yarder that was partially blocked with 3:21 remaining in the game.
Josh Jacobs accumulated 91 total yards and a 25-yard touchdown catch. Jacobs took direct responsibility for a third-down drop in the end zone late in the contest that would have put the Packers ahead.
“I don’t think the refs lost us the game,” tight end, Tucker Kraft said. “I don’t. We had the game, and we gave it away.”
Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers tight end