Green Bay Packers fans were (rightfully) up in arms during Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions.
In the third quarter at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich., the Packers were down 17-14 and got a stop on a 3rd-and-10 play near midfield. But the Lions ended up getting a fresh set of downs after the referees bizarrely threw a flag on the Packers for roughing the passer.
Green Bay defensive end Brenton Cox Jr. was wrestling for position with Detroit center Cade Mays. Cox ended up getting tripped up by Mays and fell forwards into Lions quarterback Jared Goff.
Even if Goff had let go of the pass several seconds prior and was not even hit with any particular force, that was apparently enough to draw a roughing-the-passer penalty. Here is the video of the play (with FOX announcer Tom Brady even saying that he did not agree with the call).
Brenton Cox Jr. Gets Called For Roughing The Passer. This Might Be The Most Ridiculous One I’ve Ever Seen, And That’s After Last Week’s Multiple Roughing The Passer Calls That Were Definitely Questionable. This One Is The Worst Of Them All. I Never Want To Call Something Rigged, But This Just Looks Really Suspicious. Something’s Weird Here.
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) October 25, 2026
The Packers were also on the receiving end of several other curious penalties during Sunday’s game. Green Bay was penalized in the third quarter after referee Terry Killens (No. 77) charged into a skirmish and got inadvertently kicked, quarterback Jordan Love was called for a questionable intentional grounding penalty in the third quarter, and cornerback Brandon Cisse had an interception wiped away by a defensive pass interference call in the third quarter as well.
The official gets kicked in Packers vs Lions but they call it on the Packers. Odd https://t.co/BEdQT1dUEY
— Footballholics (@Footballholics2) October 25, 2026
You make the call: is this intentional grounding by Jordan Love? https://t.co/Y0zoNvgbFw
— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) October 25, 2026
A Brandon Cisse interception is wiped away by a DPI against Amon-Ra St. Brown. https://t.co/q4LXAvTthQ
— The Goal Line Grind (@theGLgrind) October 25, 2026
The Packers did remain within striking distance of the Lions despite all the brutal calls, even tying the game at 17-17 in the fourth quarter. But the roughing-the-passer call might have been the worst one of all, continuing on a troubling trend in the NFL over the last several years.
