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NFL admits second 'hands to the face' penalty on Lions was mistake

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 14: Head coach Matt Patricia of the Detroit Lions watches action during a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on October 14, 2019 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Stop us if you've heard this before: The NFL is admitting refs blew a call against the Lions on Monday night.

NFL VP of Operations Troy Vincent told reporters on Tuesday that the second call, a hands-to-the-face penalty on Lions DE Trey Flowers was a mistake:

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Lions fans, players, local and national media and others have called the late-game penalties on the Lions an embarrassment to the league.

Flowers was asked about the call after the loss.

"I actually changed the position of my hand, because it was to the chest initially," Flowers said. "I was doing it all game. I didn't know that was a flag to the chest, so I changed it. And he called it again.

"I didn't think hands to the chest was a penalty. I thought hands to the face, but I had him right here in the chest. The second time I changed it. ... That's part of a move that I do. So, nah, I don't think that was a penalty."

Former Detroit Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky delivered a passionate plea to NFL owners to fix the issues with officiating after the blown calls in the Packers-Lions game last night.

"You don't have a problem, you have an epidemic," Orlovsky said. "Your product is slowly being ruined by a third party that has no consequences for their actions."


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