The Green Bay Packers saw their three-game winning streak end on Sunday as the Detroit Lions secured a 20-17 victory. Kicker Trey Smack missed a 35-yard field goal with 3:25 left in the fourth quarter, setting up the Lions' game-winning drive, but the Packers also pointed to several controversial officiating decisions that favored Detroit. Green Bay was penalized eight times for 81 yards, and many of those calls drew sharp criticism from players and coaches.
Safety Xavier McKinney did not hold back, calling the officiating "bullshit" and saying it was "f---ing up the games." He added that he did not care about potential fines for speaking out. One of the most debated calls was a roughing-the-passer penalty on Karl Brooks with 2:45 remaining, which added 15 yards to an 18-yard gain by Sam LaPorta. Fox commentator Tom Brady called it "definitely not roughing the passer," and rules analyst Dean Blandino agreed the call was questionable.
Earlier, Brenton Cox Jr. was flagged for roughing the passer after attempting to catch himself while fighting through a block, a call Brady and Blandino also disputed. In the third quarter, Devonte Wyatt was penalized for unnecessary roughness after tackling Amon-Ra St. Brown, who accidentally cleated an official. Head coach Matt LaFleur said he did not hear a whistle and declined to elaborate further to avoid fines. Cornerback Keisean Nixon claimed the calls were one-sided and suggested the officials "don't like Jordan Love," citing an intentional grounding call on Love that Brady said was "definitely not grounding."
The Packers now turn their attention to a quick turnaround, hosting the Carolina Panthers on Thursday Night Football in Week 8.
