A highly questionable pass interference call in the final minutes of Sunday Night Football overshadowed what could have been a dramatic Detroit Lions comeback, ultimately helping the Philadelphia Eagles secure a 16–9 victory in Week 11.
The play in question occurred when Eagles wideout A.J. Brown and Lions cornerback Rock Ya-Sin were battling down the sideline. Brown appeared to use his arm to create separation, yet the flag went against Ya-Sin instead. The moment immediately sparked debate, especially given how much Detroit had struggled offensively throughout the game. With head coach Dan Campbell calling plays for the second straight week, the Lions failed to convert on all five of their fourth-down tries, while quarterback Jared Goff faced constant pressure and never fully found his rhythm.
Despite their offensive issues, the Lions stayed alive deep into the fourth quarter. Trailing by seven with 1:51 left, Detroit still had a realistic chance to engineer a game-tying drive. A false start pushed them into a third-and-8 situation before Jalen Hurts launched a pass toward Brown. The ball, however, sailed over Brown’s head and looked uncatchable. Ya-Sin celebrated the defensive stop—until he saw the yellow flag that changed everything.
NBC commentators Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth reacted instantly as the replay aired, clearly stunned by what they saw.
“Come on… that’s awful,” Collinsworth said, criticizing the call. “That’s a terrible decision at this stage of the game. If you’re calling anything, it should be offensive.”
Tirico added that there was some “hand fighting,” but neither announcer believed anything warranted a defensive penalty. Their frustration reflected the feelings of many fans who watched a tightly contested matchup effectively end on one judgement call.
Detroit never regained possession after the controversial flag, leaving supporters to wonder what might have happened if the Lions had been given one final opportunity. Instead, a debatable ruling became the storyline of the night, overshadowing the defensive battle and raising familiar concerns about the impact of officiating on pivotal NFL games.
