Lions vs Packers officiating draws criticism from fans as Tom Brady expresses disbelief over penalty call

The Detroit Lions edged the Green Bay Packers 20-17 on Sunday, moving up to third place in the NFC North standings and ahead of their division rivals.

However, the game also sparked debate over the officiating, with several key moments influenced by penalties called on both teams.

NFL officiating draws widespread criticism

NFL insider Ari Meirov took to X and called out the officiating of the NFL North fixture. The officiating in Packers-Lions has been arguably the worst in a game this season. And that's saying a lot,” Meirov tweeted on X.

It didn’t take long for fans to flood social media with reactions to the officiating in the Lions-Packers game.

A fan posted, “I mean this needs to be looked at by the higher ups or something, this can’t be a real officiating crew.”

Another fan took the speculation a step further and wrote, “Someone needs to investigate this official. I think he may be gambling on the Lions”

Another user commented, “This is getting so bad its unwatchable. This is the first time in my life I'm getting sick of football. It may be uniquely bad for the Packers but it's bad across the league.”

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A fan called for replay assistance to be expanded across the league, tweeting, Replay assist needs to become available across the board. Too much hanky panky going on these days.”

One more fan added, “Worst officiated game I’ve seen since replacement refs.”

Questionable flags shape decisive moments

The Packers were called for two questionable roughing-the-passer penalties, including one against Karl Brooks during Detroit’s final drive. The Lions then covered 71 yards in 10 plays to set up the game-winning kick.

The Lions also had a contentious call go against them earlier in the game. Linebacker Derrick Barnes was penalized for unnecessary roughness after a hit on Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd, giving Green Bay an automatic first down on the drive that eventually tied the score at 17.

Tom Brady questions penalty on Barnes

Even Tom Brady, who was calling the game, appeared to disagree with the penalty on Barnes’ hit.

After learning that a flag had been thrown, Brady reacted by saying, “There's no way.” Once the penalty was announced, he added, “Come on, man.”

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Commenting on the play, Brady further explained, “Oh, he's just turning his right shoulder away from it. That's allowed 99 out of 100.”