Fines coming after Green Bay Packers put NFL officiating on blast for questionable calls in loss to Lions
Fines coming after Green Bay Packers put NFL officiating on blast for questionable calls in loss to Lions
After a short reprieve in which NFL officiating did not beclown itself for a couple of weeks, we saw the return of questionable and borderline unprofessional work by the league's men in stripes during at Detroit Lions game on Sunday.
And as the most curious calls went against the Packers, it doesn't surprise that team's postgame media session was replete with a withering review of the poor officiating work – led by safety Xavier McKinney who called the officiating "bulls–t."
Yes, McKinney should expect to be fined for sharing his opinion, but he definitely got his money's worth during a one-minute rant on one controversial call in particular.
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"I don't know how the NFL [is] going to treat it, but I'm not a big fan of the refs right now," McKinney told reporters in the locker room. "I don't think it's great officiating if I'm being completely honest. I think it's bulls–t a lot of the times."
McKinney pointed to an obvious third-quarter situation in which Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was wrapped up in what seemed like a tackle, but because he was on top of his tackler, he apparently decided he wasn't actually down.
So, St. Brown got up and going as if the play wasn't dead. There had been no audible whistle. So, defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt tackled St. Brown.
While these hijinks were going on, St. Brown's leg whipped upward and hit approaching umpire Terry Killens Jr. in the groin. Killens Jr. went down and proceeded to throw a flag while on his back.
Unnecessary roughness on Wyatt.
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The Lions used the penalty to draw closer to an eventual touchdown that gave them a 17-14 lead.
"I think there are drives where they make calls that don't even make any sense," McKinney said. "We tried to get him down and then their player hit the ref and he falls. He gets mad on the ground and he just throws the flag. He don't even know who hit him.
"So it's just like, it just be bulls–t that's going on, bulls–t calls."
Yes, fine incoming because the NFL has a strict policy that says public criticism by players or club employees of game officials or officiating is prohibited and may result in a fine and/or suspension.
That includes comments in press conferences, interviews, broadcasts, livestreams and social-media posts. The league can discipline someone when the criticism concerns a specific call or the general quality of officiating.
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But the discipline isn't the major point. The questionable officiating is.
The NFL has had something of an officiating problem this year. The league recognized that when it suspended two officials in separate incidents Oct. 5. Also, penalty f
