Referee in Packers-Lions game responds to questions about disputed penalties

DETROIT – The Green Bay Packers disputed several penalties during their 20-17 loss to the Detroit Lions and players voiced strong objections to some of the calls referee Alex Moore and his crew made against them. After the game, at the request of reporters seeking clarification on two calls that the Packers sideline appeared to disagree with the most, Moore answered questions from a pool reporter, a Lions beat reporter. Here are some of the plays, the question the reporter asked and Moore’s response: Devonte Wyatt called for unnecessary roughness The call: The Lions had the ball on the Green Bay 27-yard line with 7 minutes, 46 seconds left. It was second-and-11. Quarterback Jared Goff threw a short pass to receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and linebacker Isaiah McDuffie pulled him down. St. Brown landed on top of McDuffie and, after a second or two, got up as if the play wasn't over. Defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt grabbed St. Brown and tackled him to the ground. Moore got kicked and the force of the hit drove him to the ground. He threw the flag while sitting on the turf. Reporter : Did the whistle blow before Wyatt tackled St. Brown? Moore : “We ruled that the play was over. I can't honestly hear if there was a whistle or not, but the tackler made the tackle, the play was over. Then, there was an additional action, and he basically tackled him again with force after the play was over.” Question : So, it's safe to say that the additional action is probably why he was penalized? Moore : “It was exactly the additional action.” Wyatt and several players said that no whistle was blown and they were later told that the time in which it took for St. Brown to get up and try to advance the ball could be interpreted as play over. “It wasn't no whistle,” Wyatt said. “He [St. Brown] was literally like this on about one hand, not like this [fully down]. Blow the whistle [if he’s down]. He didn't blow the whistle. He [St. Brown] got up. He tried to run.” Said McDuffie: “I did not hear a whistle.” Jordan Love called for intentional grounding The play: The Packers had first-and-10 at their 19 on the first play of the fourth quarter. Quarterback Jordan Love was pressured in the pocket and slung the ball to the sideline where tight end Tucker Kraft was running an out route toward the sideline. The ball fell short of Kraft and was called an incomplete pass. After considering the play, Moore called intentional grounding. The Packers argued that Kraft was in the vicinity of his throw. Reporter : On the Jordan Love intentional grounding, why was Tucker Kraft not considered the intended receiver on that one? Moore : “So we ruled that although the quarterback was outside of the tackle box, the pass did not make it to the line of scrimmage. So, that's where the intentional grounding came in.” Question: “So it doesn't matter if Kraft was the intended receiver or not, the ball has to get to the line of scrimmage?” Moore: “Either to the line of scrimmage or into the area where he is. It just can't be in the direction, it has to actually reach where he is if it doesn't get to the line of scrimmage.” Said Kraft: “I was running a flat route. That’s when he told me. I’m like, ‘So, when the back is in protection and you’re dirting it to the ground and you’re still in the pocket … Anyway, don’t get me started on any of the officiating stuff.” Said Love: “I thought I had a receiver right there. It is what it is.” Check back for more on the other penalties the Packers objected to.