The Detroit Lions are the NFC North champions and while they mostly have the Vikings’ Nick Mullens and his four interceptions to thank for that, they were also greatly aided by the referees during Sunday’s game at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Vikings fans were left furious by a series of questionable calls that ultimately proved crucial in the Lions 30-24 win.
One of the most egregious of those came with about nine minutes left in the first half and the game tied 7-7. Minnesota edge rusher Patrick Jones II was flagged for roughing the passer on a 2nd-and-26 play, which gave the Lions at automatic first down at the Vikings’ 46-yard line.
Roughing the passer called here on the Vikings.. #DETvsMIN pic.twitter.com/2PW66o98Q5
— Rate the Refs App (@Rate_the_Refs) December 24, 2023
Had the flag not been thrown, the Lions would’ve faced 3rd-and-21. Instead, they used the free first down to fuel a scoring drive as Michael Badgley hit a short field goal to give Detroit a 10-7 lead.
On the very same drive, the play before the field goal, Vikings linebacker Jordan Hicks hit Jared Goff as he was about to pass. The ball popped loose and Cam Bynum scooped it up and ran it back for a defensive touchdown.
The officials called it a fumble on the field but replay officials reversed the call and ruled that Goff’s arm was going forward for an incomplete pass. This was a closer call, but the replay suggests that contact was made by Hicks before Goff had made a forward arm motion.
This resulted in a 10-point swing in favor of the Lions.
Do you agree with this being ruled a forward pass instead of a fumble? #DETvsMIN pic.twitter.com/6mjORUUSdM
— Rate the Refs App (@Rate_the_Refs) December 24, 2023
One of the other calls to attract attention from Vikings fans came in the 4th quarter, with the referees calling illegal contact against Jaylin Williams because Lions receiver Josh Reynolds seemingly bumped into him on his route.
This happened on 3rd-and-7 with 4:21 remaining, giving the Lions a new first down instead of 4th-and-7, allowing them to take almost two minutes off the clock, forcing the Vikings to take risks that ultimately led to Mullens’ final interception on the last drive.
The NFL is rigged, I’m done. pic.twitter.com/kpABgCOEvV
— Ivan, Czar of Bohunks (@Up4Discussion_7) December 24, 2023
