Did the Vikings Face Unfavorable Officiating in Their Loss to the Lions?…
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell expressed dissatisfaction with several officiating decisions made by Land Clark’s crew in Sunday’s game against the Lions.
O’Connell particularly disagreed with a roughing the passer call against Pat Jones II early in the second quarter. Despite Jones appearing to cleanly hit Jared Goff in the chest, the referee flagged him for 15 yards, turning a 3rd and 21 into a first down in Vikings territory. O’Connell, diplomatically stating he would “have to go back and take a look at that one,” subtly conveyed his disapproval.
Really don’t like this roughing the passer call against Pat Jones. Happened on a 2nd and 26, too, totally changing the drive. pic.twitter.com/oqF2KmveVN
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) December 24, 2023
Later in the same drive, Goff was hit by Jordan Hicks, resulting in a fumble recovered by Camryn Bynum, who ran 82 yards for a touchdown. However, upon replay review, the touchdown was overturned to an incomplete pass. O’Connell, while acknowledging the closer nature of the call, disagreed and expressed disappointment that the decision was confirmed via replay assist.
The game also saw questionable calls late in the match, including a soft roughness penalty on Ed Ingram leading to an interception and a borderline DPI no-call on Justin Jefferson in the end zone, forcing the Vikings to settle for a field goal. Additionally, a contested illegal contact penalty on rookie cornerback Jaylin Williams extended a Lions drive, allowing them to run down the clock.
O’Connell acknowledged the need to review these calls, emphasizing the team’s responsibility to overcome challenges and improve coaching techniques. Despite the officiating issues, he recognized that the Vikings fell short in various aspects and must address them to secure victories in future games.
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