A disputed late hit penalty on Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt shifted momentum in the Detroit Lions’ 20-17 victory Sunday at Ford Field.
The call came in the third quarter on a second-and-11 play. Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown caught a short pass and was brought down by linebacker Isaiah McDuffie. St. Brown rose and continued running. Wyatt tackled him again as umpire Terry Killens Jr. entered the area.
St. Brown’s cleat appeared to strike Killens, who fell and threw a flag from his back. Officials assessed Wyatt a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty. The Lions gained a first down at the Packers’ 11-yard line.
Two plays later, quarterback Jared Goff connected with Jameson Williams for a 10-yard touchdown. Detroit took a 17-14 lead.
Wyatt said he never heard a whistle and was simply finishing the tackle to prevent a potential score.
“If you asked me right now, I’d do the same thing 100 times over. So that’s the refs. They gotta figure out what they need to do because I definitely did my job,” he said.
He added: “What if (St. Brown) would’ve got up and ran for a touchdown? Then everybody would be looking at D-Wy like, ‘You let him go’ … I feel like the refs were on their side the whole day.” Wyatt concluded, “If it wasn’t for the flags, we would’ve won that game.” Referee Alex Moore stated after the game that officials ruled the play dead after the initial tackle, though he could not confirm whether a whistle sounded. Packers players and coaches said they heard none. The penalty was one of eight against Green Bay, totaling 81 yards. Detroit was flagged five times for 50 yards. The Packers entered the week with multiple roughing-the-passer calls already on their season ledger. Green Bay also struggled in the red zone, converting just one of four trips into points. Rookie kicker Trey Smack missed field goals from 26 yards early and 35 yards late. He did connect on a 43-yarder in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 17 with 7:14 remaining. After Smack’s late miss, the Lions took over and drove for Jake Bates’ 22-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. Detroit improved to 4-2. Green Bay fell to 4-3. The Minnesota Vikings remain atop the NFC North at 6-0. The Packers sit last in the division after the loss. Jordan Love completed 27 of 45 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns for Green Bay. Goff led Detroit with efficient production, including two scores to Williams. The controversial sequence highlighted ongoing questions about how officials handle plays that appear to continue without a clear whistle. Wyatt maintained he acted correctly under the circumstances. Green Bay’s defense had forced a turnover on downs earlier in the fourth quarter, giving the offense a short field. That opportunity ended with the missed kick and the subsequent Detroit drive. Penalties and special teams miscues defined a game that stayed close throughout. The final margin came down to one possession after the disputed flag and the late misses. The Packers will look to rebound next week as they try to climb back in the division race. Detroit gained a valuable early win in the NFC North.
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