What an insane game we witnessed Sunday afternoon between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers. It certainly lived up to its title as the game of the week on Fox. Detroit pulled away with a close 20-17 win, but there was plenty of controversy we’ll dive into.
Controversy in the Packer’s Loss vs. Lions
Bad Officiating
I think we can all agree that the refereeing was pretty bad. This particular crew is led by Alex Moore, the second-year promoted referee. His crew in 2025 threw the most penalties of any crew in the NFL, with 311 penalties called, which is about 19 per game. That tracks, as there were 14 flags thrown total and 12 accepted penalties.
The question that is being asked around the league is whether the calls favor one team over another? Well, if you look at pure numbers, then technically yes, as the Packers were called for nine penalties for 81 yards, and the Lions were only called for five penalties for 50 yards.
However, when you look at the calls that were considered controversial, it actually splits more evenly than people may think.
The first call in question was when Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown seemed to be tackled by Packers linebacker Isaiah McDuffie, but there wasn’t a whistle ever blown on the play, so when St. Brown got up, defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt slammed him on the floor, hearing no whistle. However, the flags flew and got him on unnecessary roughness.
A couple of thoughts here: was he down for sure? Yes, but why wasn’t any whistle blown when St. Brown was initially tackled? The drive resulted in a touchdown to give the Lions a 17-14 lead in the 4th.
However, the Lions were on the wrong side of a controversial call as well.
In the third quarter, linebacker Derrick Barnes hit running back MarShawn Lloyd as the ball was thrown above his head, and it seemed just like a normal hit. But a few seconds after the play was over, flags came, and Barnes was called for unnecessary roughness, which led to the Packers tying the game at 17.
The final penalty that stood out on the final drive of the game was roughing the passer called on Green Bay’s Karl Brooks for hitting the Lions quarterback, Jared Goff. Overall, alot of questionable calls, but the game came down to who executed the game better. That is undoubtedly the Lions.
Smack’s Costly Misses, Among Other Factors
Packers Rookie kicker Trey Smack had plenty to do with why Green Bay did not come out on top on Sunday. The University of Florida alum has struggled mightily this year, as is usual with rookie kickers. Smack had two crucial misses in this particular affair, both inside 40 yards, and one of them gave the Lions a three-point lead over the Packers.
I may add the Packers started this drive inside the Lions’ 30-yard line due to an interesting decision by Detroit’s head coach Dan Campbell to go for it inside their own territory. Smack is not the only one to blame, however. On that same drive, running back Josh Jacobs dropped a touchdown pass from a perfect throw from quarterback Jordan Love.
Finally, in an attempt to prevent the Lions from milking the clock, the Packers’ defense was just a little too eager and jumped offsides twice, setting up an easy last-second kick for the Lions’ kicker Jake Bates. It was an easy try, and Detroit won this NFC North battle against Green Bay.
What’s Next?
Overall, despite some poor officiating, the actual game was a great watch between two solid teams. This matchup also had major division circumstances. For the Lions, this was a crucial win, and they are now tied with the Bears for second in the division.
For the Packers, they fall to 4-3 on the year and are dead last as of now in the NFC North. Both teams are at home next week as the Lions will host the undefeated Minnesota Vikings on Fox at 1 p.m. E.T. The Packers will host the Carolina Panthers on Thursday Night Football. Kickoff will be on Amazon Prime Video at 815 p.m. E.T.
Main Image: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
