NFL Makes Unusual Officiating Move Amid Growing Scrutiny
· Yahoo Sports
The NFL has moved referee Alex Moore’s crew off Sunday Night Football after disputed calls in the Week 7 Green Bay Packers- Detroit Lions game drew scrutiny.
The change comes on the heels of last week’s controversial matchup between the Packers and the Lions, which ignited heavy debate across the league.
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Officials shifted away from primetime to prevent on-air scrutiny
Moore’s crew will officiate the Patriots-Dolphins game in CBS’s 4:25 p.m. ET window next Sunday. Hochuli’s crew will work Eagles-Commanders on NBC at 8:20 p.m. The teams keep their scheduled matchups; only the crews change.
Dec 30, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn ImagesFootball Zebras reported that, “The switch is more about optics rather than a disciplinary action.” The report did not include a public explanation from the NFL.
The disputed calls included two roughing-the-passer flags against the Packers. Karl Brooks was penalized on the Lions’ final drive after Jared Goff completed an 18-yard pass to Sam LaPorta. The 15-yard flag put the Lions at the Packers’ 45. Packers safety Xavier McKinney criticized the officials after the loss in a postgame callout. The two calls brought the Packers’ roughing-the-passer total to eight through seven games; opponents had not drawn one.
Brenton Cox Jr. drew a second disputed roughing penalty after being blocked directly into Goff, while Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes was flagged for a questionable illegal hit on a defenseless player – a series of rulings that severely compounded the Packers’ challenges. Moore later told a pool reporter he could not confirm whether a whistle had sounded. LaFleur asked for consistent calls in his postgame remarks.
The controversial rulings intensified postgame frustrations, with Packers coach Matt LaFleur calling for consistency and safety Xavier McKinney heavily criticizing the officiating.
Raiders minority owner and Fox analyst Tom Brady heavily criticized the officiating during the late-window Packers-Lions clash, putting a national spotlight on the crew’s mistakes before a massive television audience.
ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio argued that moving Moore’s crew off Sunday Night Football could keep NBC commentators Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth from revisiting the flags. That was Florio’s analysis, not a stated league reason.
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