Photo via Awful Announcing

Tom Brady rips officiating in Lions-Packers over soft calls

Tom Brady voiced significant frustration with NFL officiating during his broadcast of the Green Bay Packers versus Detroit Lions matchup on Sunday. His irritation peaked in the fourth quarter when linebacker Derrick Barnes was penalized for unnecessary roughness on a late hit, a call Brady dismissed as a standard bang-bang play that defenders are permitted to make.

With the Lions leading 17-14 at the time, Brady argued that the defender was simply pursuing the ball and could not assume it would be dropped.

Brady’s criticism intensified later in the quarter when the score was tied at 17-17 and Lions quarterback Jared Goff was hit while throwing to tight end Sam LaPorta. Officials flagged the play as roughing the passer, awarding Detroit 15 yards that placed them in field goal range, a decision Brady called absurd and inconsistent with the rules.

Fox rules analyst Dean Blandino supported Brady’s assessment, labeling the contact a teach-tape tackle rather than a foul, while social media reactions highlighted both support for the broadcast call and skepticism regarding the historical protection Brady received during his own playing career.

Up nextNFL· 43m ago

Jared Goff Leads Lions Past Packers, Earning Tom Brady’s LFG Player Of The Game