NFL referee’s explanation for controversial Packers-Lions call may not quiet Green Bay’s anger originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
A strange moment in Sunday’s Packers-Lions game turned into one of its biggest talking points: Green Bay was penalized after a collision sent an official to the turf, and the referee’s explanation afterward may leave fans with more questions than answers.
The call came in the third quarter of Detroit’s 20-17 win. Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was being brought down when Packers defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt made a second tackle. Umpire Terry Killens Jr. fell during the sequence and threw a flag from the ground, penalizing Wyatt for unnecessary roughness.
The explanation
Referee Alex Moore explained the ruling in a pool report. The crew judged that the play was over before Wyatt’s second tackle, he said, but Moore also acknowledged he could not tell whether a whistle had actually blown.
Packers ripped the officiating after roughing penalties proved costly in their loss to the Lions. Story via @RobDemovsky: https://t.co/kniQ8QmiXK
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 26, 2026
“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 distinction is at the heart of Green Bay’s frustration. Packers players said they had not heard a whistle, and Wyatt argued he was trying to finish the play. The penalty gave Detroit a first down, and the Lions scored a touchdown two plays later to take a 17-14 lead.
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Post game talk
Green Bay safety Xavier McKinney was blunt after the loss, criticizing a series of calls that he felt disrupted the Packers’ defensive stops and momentum. He said he would accept a fine if speaking out helped his team. Coach Matt LaFleur took a more restrained approach, saying the Packers had to play above difficult calls.
The ruling does not change the final score, and it was not the only costly moment for Green Bay. The Packers missed two field goals and had a potential go-ahead touchdown pass slip through Josh Jacobs’ hands late in the game. Detroit ultimately won on Jake Bates’ field goal as time expired.
Still, the sequence stands out because the explanation hinges on a play being over even as the referee could not confirm hearing the whistle. That gap between the crew’s ruling and what the Packers say they heard is likely to keep the debate alive well after the flag was picked up.