Lions' Trey Flowers on Refs: 'Didn't Think Hands to the Chest Was a Penalty'

The Detroit Lions have every right to be upset with the officials following Monday's 23-22 loss to the Green Bay Packers.  

Two late hands to the face penalties on defensive end Trey Flowers during Green Bay's final two drives proved costly, and he told reporters after the game, "I didn't think hands to the chest was a penalty."

The Packers would have been forced to punt trailing by nine with less than 11 minutes remaining had the first penalty not been called, and they ended up scoring a touchdown on the extended possession. The second one, coming on the final possession of the game, allowed Green Bay to run the entire clock down and kick a game-winning field goal instead of giving Detroit one more chance.

That both calls came on 3rd-down plays that would have resulted in a sack and incompletion, respectively, made the penalties all the more difficult to accept for the Lions.

While Detroit can look to its own failures to convert long drives into touchdowns—it settled for five field goals in the loss—it will surely be difficult for it to overcome the officiating.

Especially since it is now in last place in the NFC North.