The ending of Sunday night’s showdown between the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles sparked instant outrage, and the man in charge of the officiating crew is now defending the very call that sealed Detroit’s fate.
With just a few minutes remaining, the Lions—despite an erratic offensive performance—had clawed their way back into striking distance. Their defense appeared to deliver the crucial stop they desperately needed to give Jared Goff another shot at tying the game. Instead, a highly questionable defensive pass interference call against cornerback Rock Ya-Sin extended Philadelphia’s drive and wiped out Detroit’s final opportunity.
The moment left fans stunned, analysts confused, and even NBC’s Cris Collinsworth struggling to understand how the flag was justified. The contact between A.J. Brown and Ya-Sin looked like typical hand-fighting common at the catch point—especially considering Brown initiated his own shove before the ball arrived. Yet, the officials saw it differently.
After the game, referee Brad Allen’s pool report featured comments from crew chief Alex Kemp, who stood firmly behind the call. Kemp explained that the defender’s arm grab “restricted the receiver from going up to make the catch,” which, in his view, met the definition of pass interference with the ball in the air. In other words, the officiating crew saw enough restriction to throw the flag, regardless of how borderline the action may have appeared on replay.
Anyone who watched the replay closely, however, can see why the uproar erupted. While there may have been momentary contact with Brown’s arm, it looked minimal compared to typical jostling between receivers and cornerbacks. And when considering that Brown clearly extended his own arm first, the call becomes even harder to justify. Many felt Detroit was robbed of a fair ending after 60 minutes of gritty defensive effort.
But missed opportunities earlier in the game can’t be ignored. Detroit’s offense sputtered from the opening kickoff, with Goff enduring one of the roughest outings of his season. The Lions failed repeatedly on key fourth-down attempts and squandered excellent defensive play that kept them within reach.
Even so, losing on such a controversial note stings in a different way. Detroit fought to stay alive despite their offensive struggles, only to have a judgment call wipe away their final chance. And with the officials refusing to acknowledge any doubt about the decision, frustration from Lions fans is only intensifying.
