Seahawks vs Lions: NFL Refs Get Rare Appreciation From Experts For ‘Good’ PI Call

NFL referees have a difficult job. Every flag they throw aggravates half the players, coaches and fans watching whatever game they’re working. Nobody will claim they’re perfect, especially with some of the missed calls they have week after week. But in Monday’s Seattle Seahawks-Detroit Lions matchup, officials were given high marks for identifying a penalty.

Early in the third quarter of the contest, Lions cornerback Carlton Davis II tugged the right shoulder of Seahawks receiver D.K. Metcalf as he sprinted for a Geno Smith pass attempt. The action drew a flag for pass interference from the officiating crew. ESPN broadcast analyst Troy Aikman – an NFL Hall of Fame quarterback – and rules analyst Russell Yurk agreed with the decision.

This jovial moment for referees quickly turned sour though, as many of their decisions following the above incident had a big negative impact on the game.

Referees’ Inconsistencies strike late in Seahawks-Lions

Trailing by 14 points regularly throughout the night, Seattle needed a lot to break in its favor as it embarked on a comeback win. That involved a two-point conversion attempt after cutting that deficit to 28-20 with 3:09 remaining in the third quarter. However, on that try, the Seahawks both benefit and lost out due to officiating errors.

On the play, Davis II was whistled for pass interference against Metcalf. The flag moved the ball to the 1-yard line for a re-try on the two-point attempt.

That was a positive. The negative? The pass was ruled incomplete despite Metcalf maintaining possession and getting his leg in-bounds.

If the proper had been made, Seattle would have trimmed their deficit to six. Instead, they failed to score and remained down by eight.

Then, on their penultimate offensive possession, Smith lobbed a deep ball to Metcalf after the Lions jumped offsides ahead of the snap. Detroit defensive back Brandon Joseph appeared to commit clear pass interference right on the play, but wasn’t penalized.

Seattle eventually turned the ball over on downs when they should have had 1st-and-Goal from the Lions’ 1-yard line.

Furthermore, ESPN studio analyst Ryan Clark bashed a critical pass interference call against Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett on a 4th-and-3 with 9:18 left in regulation. The flag not only erased a first-down gain, but pushed Seattle out of field goal range altogether.

Fans on Twitter/X mentioned the trio of officiating mistakes – among others – completely altered how the game concluded, and wondered how long the NFL will continue to let things like this decide games.

Week 5 of the NFL will get underway on Thursday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers battle the Atlanta Falcons.