Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney did not hold back after Sunday’s loss to the Detroit Lions, telling reporters the officiating crew engaged in what he called “bullsh*t” calls and that referees “for sure” stole the game from his team.
“It’s kinda f–king up the games if I’m being honest,” McKinney said, according to The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman.
The criticism centered on two roughing-the-passer penalties called against Green Bay defenders during the game. On one play, Lions quarterback Jared Goff completed an 18-yard pass to Sam LaPorta before Packers defensive lineman Karl Brooks made contact with Goff a split second later. There was no helmet-to-helmet hit, and Brooks did not drive Goff into the ground, yet officials flagged the play, moving Detroit to the Green Bay 40-yard line.
Fox broadcasters were openly critical of the call as it happened. “No, my goodness, what is that? There’s no way,” said analyst Tom Brady. “Brooks on the tackle kind of makes a great play. It’s a bang-bang play. He rolls off his body. It’s a great throw by Goff. That’s definitely not roughing the passer.”
A second roughing call went against Packers linebacker Brenton Cox, who barely made contact with Goff and appeared to try to keep him from falling. Brady again questioned the penalty, saying “Not much at all,” while Fox rules analyst Dean Blandino added, “I don’t like it as roughing.”
McKinney argued the calls reflected a double standard in how quarterbacks are protected around the league. “We’re not seeing the same calls for our quarterback,” he said.
Other disputed calls piled up during the game. Defensive tackle Devontae Wyatt was hit with a 15-yard penalty on a play where neither a Lions nor Packers player appeared to commit any infraction — the flag reportedly came because Wyatt’s cleat made contact with his own midsection. Earlier in the game, a Lions defender struck Packers tight end Tucker Kraft in the facemask with the crown of his helmet without drawing a flag.
McKinney acknowledged his comments could draw a fine from the league but said he felt compelled to speak out. “I see what is going on and it is what it is, they going to fine you for anything at this point in this league,” he said. “I would rather get fined and try to help my team out because I see what’s going on. I see it’s killing us. We all see it; we all see what’s going on. Everybody sees what’s going on. The fans see what’s going on. We see what’s going on, we out there.”
He added that the officiating has made winning more difficult for the team. “It’s a lot of s–t that doesn’t make sense right now, but at the end of the day we still have to find ways to go out there and try to win these games. It’s making it a little bit harder when the officiating is that way, if I’m being honest.”
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