Green Bay Packers cornerback Rasul Douglas angered the Detroit Lions with a bizarre move during Sunday night’s game, but he insists there was a method to what some interpreted as total madness.
The Lions were trailing 9-3 just before the half when they lined up for what would have been a 48-yard field goal. Green Bay called a timeout prior to the ball being snapped, so Douglas decided to waltz over and make sure the Lions could not snap it.
Rasul Douglas pic.twitter.com/NAiam8RLo7
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthewCFB) January 9, 2023
Lions offensive lineman Dan Skipper took except to what Douglas did and shoved him. Douglas turned around and punched Skipper in the facemask, which drew a 15-yard penalty.
Down 9-3, Lions would’ve had a 48-yard FG to end half. They missed a 46-yarder going same way earlier.
Instead, they get a chip shot after Rasul Douglas, in his words, “pushed” Lions’ Dan Skipper.
This is no push. Another inexcusable lack of discipline: pic.twitter.com/xtwDkj8myh
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) January 9, 2023
The penalty turned a 48-yard field goal into a chip shot, allowing the Lions to cut Green Bay’s lead to 9-6 heading into halftime.
Douglas explained himself on Monday in a tweet. He took full responsibility for the penalty, but he felt he had a good reason for trying to stop the Lions from snapping the ball. Kicker Michael Badgley had missed a similar field goal earlier in the game, and Douglas says he did not want to give him a free practice kick after the Packers called timeout.
Crazy people don’t get why I did this . He missed a kick earlier in the game and we called timeout on this play . I wasn’t about to let him get a free kick so I did this . Now me hitting him after he pushed me I take full accountability for . https://t.co/00sTBoEPB3
— rasul (@rd32_era) January 9, 2023
“Crazy people don’t get why I did this. He missed a kick earlier in the game and we called timeout on this play. I wasn’t about to let him get a free kick so I did this. Now me hitting him after he pushed me I take full accountability for,” Douglas wrote.
The Packers made some dumb mistakes in their 20-16 loss to the Lions, which eliminated them from postseason contention. Rookie Quay Walker was ejected later in the game for an embarrassing act (video here). That was not the way Green Bay wanted the season to end.
