Frustration in the locker room
Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney did not hold back after his team lost to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. He criticized the officiating crew after the Packers were flagged for two roughing the passer calls, bringing their season total to eight over seven games.
McKinney said the bad calls are killing team momentum and ruining games. He added that he did not care if the NFL fined him for his comments because he wants to help his team. Head coach Matt LaFleur was more cautious after the game, saying the team simply has to play above tough calls.
The whistle that nobody heard
One controversial play happened in the third quarter when Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown caught a short pass from Jared Goff. Defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt tackled him again after St. Brown appeared to get up and keep running. Umpire Terry Killens Jr. fell down and threw a flag for unnecessary roughness on Wyatt.
LaFleur and Wyatt both said they never heard a whistle. Referee Alex Moore admitted later that he could not honestly hear if a whistle blew, but ruled the play was over before the second tackle. The penalty set up the Lions at the 11 yard line, leading to a 10 yard touchdown pass to Jameson Williams that put Detroit ahead 17-14. Cornerback Keisean Nixon called it a terrible decision.
Missed chances cost Green Bay
Other Green Bay players were also involved in penalty calls. Edge rusher Brenton Cox Jr. was called for roughing Jared Goff in the third quarter and said it was disappointing because players need to know the difference between intentional hits and normal play. Defensive tackle Karl Brooks declined to comment after getting a roughing penalty on Detroit's winning drive.
Despite the calls, the Packers had opportunities to win and moved to a 4-3 record. They went 1-for-3 in the red zone. Rookie kicker Trey Smack missed a 26 yard field goal in the first quarter and had a 35 yard kick blocked late in the fourth quarter. Tight end Tucker Kraft noted that the players gave the game away rather than the officials losing it for them.
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