When the NFL sends a pool reporter to get postgame clarification from officials, the goal is usually to clear things up — not spark an even bigger controversy. Yet that’s exactly what happened Sunday night in Philadelphia, where referee Alex Kemp delivered an explanation for a pivotal penalty that only deepened the confusion and anger surrounding the call.
The moment in question came with 1:51 remaining in Detroit’s 16–9 loss to the Eagles. Cornerback Rock Ya-Sin was hit with a defensive pass interference flag that extended Philadelphia’s drive. When pressed for specifics afterward, Kemp insisted the defender had grabbed A.J. Brown’s arm and limited his ability to go up for the ball:
“The official saw the receiver’s arm being held and restricted from attempting to make the catch,” Kemp said. “With the ball in the air, the arm was grabbed, it hindered him, so it was called defensive pass interference.”
There’s just one problem: None of that shows up on film.
Not from the TV broadcast.
Not from the end-zone cam.
Not from slow motion.
Not from any angle at all.
And certainly not in the way Kemp tried to describe it.
Perfect Coverage — and Still Penalized
Ya-Sin was in tight coverage, exactly as coached. Even A.J. Brown didn’t act as if anything illegal had occurred. During the NBC broadcast, Cris Collinsworth went so far as to say the only penalty that made any sense would’ve been offensive pass interference — because Brown was the one initiating contact:
“If you wanna call a foul, it’s offensive.”
The idea that Ya-Sin grabbed Brown’s arm simply doesn’t hold up. There was no tug, no restriction, no moment when Brown was prevented from elevating — and the pass itself sailed several yards out of bounds.
If Brown didn’t “go up” for the ball, it’s because:
The throw was uncatchable
He never attempted to jump
He was the one pushing off
Pick any of the three — all make more sense than Kemp’s version.
Rock Ya-Sin Calls It Like He Sees It
Ya-Sin stayed professional afterward, but his tone said everything:
“A.J. Brown’s a great player… sometimes guys like that get those calls… it is what it is.”
In other words: Superstar favoritism is alive and well.
Ya-Sin didn’t lose leverage, didn’t panic, didn’t hook an arm — yet still got flagged in a critical moment.
A Call That Required Justification — Just Not This One
Detroit didn’t lose solely because of officiating. The Lions had chances, and they didn’t capitalize. But in a one-possession game, in the final minutes, on a third-down stop against the defending champs, you simply cannot fabricate penalties to extend drives.
What Kemp described wasn’t subjective.
It wasn’t borderline.
It wasn’t even close.
It was fiction — a made-up explanation to defend a flag that should have never hit the turf.
With the Lions’ playoff cushion shrinking, mistakes like this — especially from the officiating crew — sting even more.
