Packers Players Blast Officiating Following Roughing Penalties in Loss to Lions

The Green Bay Packers fell to 4-3 after two roughing the passer penalties and a disputed unnecessary roughness call aided the Detroit Lions.

The Green Bay Packers dropped to a 4-3 record following a loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, a game marked by two roughing the passer penalties against Green Bay. The Packers have now been flagged for eight such infractions through the first seven games of the season. During the third quarter, defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt was cited for unnecessary roughness after tackling Amon-Ra St. Brown on a play where no whistle was audible to players or coach Matt LaFleur.

That penalty gave Detroit a fresh set of downs at the Green Bay 11-yard line, leading to a 10-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Jameson Williams that gave the Lions a 17-14 lead. Referee Alex Moore stated in a pool report that officials ruled the play dead before Wyatt’s hit, though he could not confirm if a whistle had blown. Safety Xavier McKinney criticized the officiating, noting that these calls are disrupting critical defensive drives and momentum.

Additional penalties included a roughing call against edge rusher Brenton Cox Jr. in the third quarter and another against Karl Brooks during Detroit's winning drive. Despite the officiating frustrations, Green Bay struggled in the red zone, converting only one of three opportunities. Rookie kicker Trey Smack missed a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter and saw a 35-yard attempt partially blocked with 3:21 remaining, which would have put the Packers ahead 20-17.