NFL4 hours ago2 minute read

Green Bay Packers Furious Over Officiating After Loss To Detroit Lions

Packers players criticized referee calls following a defeat to the Detroit Lions, though team errors also proved costly.

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McKinney and Packers vent frustration

The Green Bay Packers were left furious with officiating after dropping their game to the Detroit Lions. All Pro safety Xavier McKinney led the criticism in the locker room, voicing deep frustration with the calls made during the contest.

McKinney stated that he was not a fan of the referees right now, adding that the officiating is killing team drives and momentum. He even mentioned that he would rather get fined if speaking out could help his team. Green Bay was called for two more roughing the passer penalties on Sunday, bringing their season total to eight through seven games.

Unusual call leads to Lions touchdown

A major point of contention happened during the third quarter. Lions receiver Amon Ra St. Brown caught a short pass from Jared Goff for a 4 yard gain. St. Brown appeared to go down, but then got back up and kept running. Packers defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt tackled him again because no whistle had blown.

Umpire Terry Killens Jr. threw a flag for unnecessary roughness on Wyatt from the ground after getting cleated by St. Brown. Referee Alex Moore explained in a pool report that officials ruled the play over, though he could not say if a whistle was blown. Both Matt LaFleur and Wyatt said they never heard a whistle. Cornerback Keisean Nixon called it a terrible call. The penalty gave Detroit a first down at the Green Bay 11 yard line, and Goff hit Jameson Williams two plays later for a 10 yard touchdown.

Self inflicted mistakes cost Green Bay

Officiating was not the only issue for the Packers, who dropped to 4-3 on the season. Edge rusher Brenton Cox Jr. was called for roughing Jared Goff in the third quarter, while defensive tackle Karl Brooks was flagged on Detroit's game winning drive.

Green Bay struggled in key areas, finishing just 1 for 3 in the red zone. Rookie kicker Trey Smack missed a 26 yard field goal attempt wide right in the first quarter. He also had a 35 yard kick partially blocked with 3:21 remaining, which would have given Green Bay a 20-17 lead. Tight end Tucker Kraft admitted after the game that the team gave the game away themselves rather than losing strictly because of the referees.

What it means for the next game

Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers (NFL, Fri, 30 Oct): Green Bay Packers win 59%, Carolina Panthers win 41%; projected score Green Bay Packers 25, Carolina Panthers 22. Our safest pick: Under 54.5 points.