Green Bay Got Away With Having 13 Men on the Field and For Some Reason Detroit Has a Problem With That
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PFT – With the Lions leading 13-0 in the second quarter, the Packers faced fourth-and-5. … The Lions, however, had 12 players on the field as the Packers lined up, and the officials immediately blew the whistle, giving the Packers five yards and a first down. …
But on the very next possession, the Packers committed the exact same penalty. Only it should have been even more obvious to the officials, because the Packers, in their confusion to make a defensive substitution while the Lions were in no-huddle, actually lined up 13 players on defense. Instead of shutting the play down and giving the Lions five yards, the officials allowed the Packers to call timeout to get the right personnel on the field.
OK, so there were a few suspect calls by the officials last night. Yes, Trey Flowers had never been called for a Hands to the Face in his 59-game NFL career but got flagged twice on crucial downs in the same quarter to keep drives alive. And wasn’t happy about it.
But just because the officials forgot that a man’s face ends with his chin and not with his bottom rib and the Packers get to send TWO extra defenders on the field and call a timeout – a break that not only did the Lions not get, but has been afforded to no other team in NFL history – is no reason to act like you’re being treated unfairly.
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So every crucial call went against Detroit. So Green Bay got the chance to look over the Lions formation with 13 guys and call a timeout no other defense has ever received. So Allen Lazard didn’t have possession. Get over yourselves. None of that matters.
All that counts is the nation got to see it’s hero do heroic things. America’s Sweetheart in America’s Heartland, Aaron Rodgers making those throws that no other quarterback can make. Sometimes incomplete on a 3rd down that gets turned into a 1st down thanks to a non-existent hands to the face. Sometimes a non-catch that is called a catch. But all that is important is that the quarterback who is currently 19th in the league in Passer Rating and slightly above average in QBR:
… got the chance to prove once again why he is the one true GOAT, when he’s getting every call.
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So thanks to the officials. Thanks to the NFL. And most of all, thanks to Aaron Rodgers for passing his way into our hearts once again. With only a little bit of help.