In a game the Lions appeared to have in hand following a fourth-quarter sack of Aaron Rodgers that came with about 10 minutes left and Detroit comfortably ahead 22-13, a pair of questionable penalty calls helped the Packers rally back and escape with a win.
The first penalty came on that sack when Trey Flowers was flagged for illegal hands-to-the-face on a third-and-10 play that should have resulted in a Green Bay punt. Instead, the penalty nullified the sack, gave Green Bay an automatic first down and led to Aaron Rodgers hitting Allen Lazard for a 35-yard touchdown that cut the Lions’ lead to 22-20 three plays later.
The second was another call on Flowers for allegedly making illegal contact with tackle David Bhaktiari’s neck or face. This one gave Green Bay a first down and allowed them to run the clock down before kicking a go-ahead field goal instead of kicking it earlier and leaving the Lions with enough time for a final possession.
GTFOH pic.twitter.com/irgK1acrrQ
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) October 15, 2019
Flowers, who won the Super Bowl last season with Patriots, had never been whistled for hands-to-the-face fouls in his five-year NFL career.
Following the second penalty and the clock being run down to two seconds, Mason Crosby kicked the game-winning 23-yarder to give Green Bay the 23-22 win and did his first Lambeau Leap.
Mason Crosby called GAME.@packers WIN! @crosbykicks2 #GoPackGo #DETvsGB pic.twitter.com/EcYRwiwHNo
— NFL (@NFL) October 15, 2019
“I didn’t think hands to the chest was a penalty,” Flowers said postgame, according to The Detroit Free Press. “I thought hands to the face, but I had him right here in the chest. The second time I changed it to right here (another spot on the chest). That’s part of a move that I do and, yeah. So, nah, I don’t think that was a penalty, but they did, so…
Thanks to the loss, the Lions are now 2-2-1 in last place in the NFC North while the Packers improved to 5-1 to lead the ultra-competitive division.
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