In the wake of Green Bay’s hard‑fought 31–24 victory over Detroit, head coach Matt LaFleur made it clear: despite what he called “ref‑friendly breaks” benefiting the Lions throughout the game, the Packers still earned their win through execution, guts, and aggressive fourth‑down calls.
LaFleur’s comments came amid growing scrutiny over a controversial sequence in the second quarter. On what appeared to be a false start by Green Bay’s right guard — a penalty that traditionally would have negated the previous play — officials instead ruled that LaFleur had called a timeout before the snap. The call wiped away the penalty and gave the Packers a fresh set of downs, allowing quarterback Jordan Love to connect with Romeo Doubs for a touchdown on fourth down. Many observers — especially from the Detroit side — viewed the ruling as a pivotal “gift” that changed the game’s momentum.
“It can bite you, absolutely,” LaFleur said when asked about the risk of going for it on multiple fourth downs. Still, he defended the decisions. “I’d rather go down swinging.”
Green Bay capitalized when it mattered: Love finished 18 of 30 for 234 yards and tied his career high with four touchdown passes — two of them on fourth‑down conversions. Wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks had a standout game, hauling in six receptions for 94 yards and two of those touchdowns.
On defense, the Packers also rose to the occasion: edge rusher Micah Parsons registered 2.5 sacks, helping stifle Detroit’s top threats.
But LaFleur wasn’t shy about pointing out what he saw as officiating that leaned toward Detroit — a rare stance for a coach after a win. “Some calls didn’t go our way,” he said, referring to earlier moments when defensive penalties and other whistles seemed to favor the Lions. Yet, he added, “that’s football sometimes. At the end of the day, we still made the plays when it counted.”
The coach’s remarks sparked mixed reactions. For Packers fans, it was a bold affirmation that the team overcame adversity and closed the game under pressure with repeated fourth‑down calls — including the final conversion: a 16‑yard pass from Love to Wicks on fourth‑and‑3 with under two minutes remaining.
For Lions supporters, however, the comments and the earlier officiating decision left a bitter taste. Many lamented that a clear false start should have derailed Green Bay’s drive, and that the “timeout” call handed the Packers an undeserved advantage. Fans argued that the officials “gifted” Green Bay an extra life at a crucial juncture.
Meanwhile, the victory propelled Green Bay to an 8–3–1 record while dropping Detroit to 7–5, tightening the race in the NFC North division.
For LaFleur and the Packers, the message was clear: even if the refs “helped” the Lions at times, Green Bay had earned the win. Whether that perception will hold up in the eyes of fans — or fuel further controversy in the season’s critical stretch — remains to be seen.
