A late third-quarter flag in the Packers-Lions game has become one of the main flashpoints from Detroit’s 20-17 win, and the referee’s explanation isn’t likely to settle things in Green Bay.
The sequence unfolded when Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was being brought down and Packers defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt came in with a second tackle. In the middle of that action, umpire Terry Killens Jr. went to the ground and still managed to throw a flag, which led to an unnecessary roughness penalty on Wyatt.
Referee Alex Moore addressed the call in a pool report afterward, saying the crew believed the play had already ended before Wyatt’s second tackle. At the same time, he admitted he could not say whether a whistle had actually sounded.
“We ruled the play was over. I can’t honestly hear if there was a whistle or not,” Moore said, adding that Wyatt tackled St. Brown again with force after the play had been ruled dead.
That detail is exactly where Green Bay’s frustration comes from. Packers players said they never heard a whistle, while Wyatt said he was trying to finish the play. The penalty helped Detroit move the chains, and the Lions cashed in two plays later with a touchdown that put them ahead 17-14.
The reaction after the game was heated. Packers safety Xavier McKinney took aim at the officiating, saying the roughing penalties had a real impact on the team’s stops and momentum.
He also said he would take a fine if speaking out helped the Packers. Matt LaFleur, meanwhile, kept his comments more measured, saying Green Bay had to rise above difficult calls.
The flag was hardly the only thing that went against the Packers. They missed two field goals, and a potential go-ahead touchdown late in the game slipped through Josh Jacobs’ hands. Detroit then finished the job with Jake Bates’ field goal as time expired.
Even so, the officiating sequence is the one that lingers. The crew’s explanation rests on a play being dead, but the referee also couldn’t confirm hearing the whistle. That’s the kind of disconnect that tends to keep a controversy alive long after the final flag has been picked up.
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