Late in Sunday Night Football, the Detroit Lions seemed poised to force a punt and potentially tie the game. With under two minutes remaining and the Lions trailing 16–9, Jalen Hurts threw an incomplete pass on third-and-8. But instead of Detroit getting the ball back, a flag flew — Rock Ya-Sin, the Lions’ cornerback, was called for defensive pass interference on A.J. Brown.
That penalty handed the Eagles a fresh set of downs, allowing them to run out the clock and seal the win.
The call drew immediate backlash. Cris Collinsworth, during the NBC broadcast, blasted the decision, calling it “absolutely terrible” and suggesting if anything, it should’ve been an offensive foul instead. Afterward, referee Alex Kemp defended the call, saying the official saw Ya-Sin grab Brown’s arm, restricting him from going up for the ball.
When asked about the penalty after the game, Dan Campbell offered a calm, measured response. He praised Ya-Sin’s effort: “I thought he played defense like he did the whole game … like the very first rep … man-to-man.” Campbell said he wouldn’t change anything about that play: “Get up there and challenge. Play your style.”
Campbell also reflected more broadly on the game, saying he was proud of his players’ effort, especially the defense, which he felt “played championship-style.” But he admitted that on offense, the Lions came up short, particularly on third and fourth downs, and that he shares the blame for not helping his team make the critical plays when it mattered most.
