Officials didn’t decide the outcome of Sunday night’s game between the Rams and Lions, but there sure were some bad calls and missed penalties on both sides – none bigger or more consequential than a grab by Cameron Sutton on Puka Nacua late in the fourth quarter.
In what turned out to be the Rams’ final offensive play of the game, Matthew Stafford threw deep to Nacua on third-and-14, hoping to pick up the first down with the Rams trailing by a point. The pass fell incomplete, but there was a lot of contact.
No flag was thrown despite Sutton getting away with what appeared to be a blatant hold on Nacua’s jersey, tugging him just before he was going up for the ball. It wasn’t egregious, but it absolutely hindered Nacua and made it a much more difficult catch.
no holding called here pic.twitter.com/myLSIVCnd4
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) January 15, 2024
Even if the officials didn’t feel that was a penalty, the Lions easily could’ve been flagged for hitting a defenseless receiver near his head, with the linebacker coming in and delivering a blow to Nacua’s head/neck area.
We’ve certainly seen flags thrown for less this season alone, and it would’ve been reasonable for the officials to throw one there.
Rams fans were understandably livid at the lack of a penalty, which at the least would’ve given the Rams an automatic first down for defensive holding – and at best a first down inside the 30 if pass interference was called.
Sean McVay took the high road after the game, opting not to comment on it until he could look at the tape. But his lack of an answer says everything we need to know: He thought it was a penalty, too.