The “Thursday Night Football” showdown didn’t take long to deliver drama this week. Fans were expecting an intense battle between the Detroit Lions and their rivals, the Green Bay Packers, but tensions flared before the national anthem even began!
As preparations were underway at Ford Field for the “The Star-Spangled Banner,” a fan on the field for the pregame ceremony exchanged heated words with Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. The confrontation was captured by NFL Network cameras. Here’s what unfolded:
After the Packers fell 34-31 to the Lions, LaFleur shed light on the pregame altercation with the fan.
“Never been a part of something like that… he was talking junk to our players, giving them the throat slash sign,” LaFleur explained, per NFL Media. “You’re trying to deescalate it and then he gets in my face… I thought it was pretty unsportsmanlike… usually they police that a lot better, I would like to see security or something step in there and get him out of here.”
The fan seemed thrilled to provoke a response from the opposing coach and even worked to energize the home crowd once the incident became apparent. LaFleur was supported by several players, including running back Josh Jacobs, while assistant coaches and NFL officials intervened to prevent further escalation.
