If you did not watch the Detroit Lions‘ final game of the 2020 regular season on Sunday, you missed one of the worst roughing the passer penalties in NFL history, which not surprisingly, went against the Lions.
Following the call, just about everybody who owns a social media account and follows the NFL, raced to their computer or phone to bash the league for such an awful call.
In case you missed it, here is the roughing the passer call that was made against Lions safety, Tracy Walker.
This was flagged for roughing the passer. Horrendous. pic.twitter.com/c1tA7j89Ao
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) January 3, 2021
On Monday morning, Peter King included referee Adrian Hill as one of his “Goats of the Week.”
Here is what King had to say about the horrendous call.
Adrian Hill, referee, Detroit-Minnesota. I know the game meant nothing. But if you’re playing the game, and it counts, it means something. With 11:11 to go in the fourth quarter and Minnesota clinging to a 31-29 lead, the Vikings had fourth-and-goal from the Detroit 1. Kirk Cousins drifted back to pass, and DB Tracy Walker burst through the line on a blitz. He went straight at Cousins and sacked him for a loss of 14. Detroit ball, with a chance to take the lead. But wait. Flag. Hill called roughing the passer, a ridiculous call on a simple tackle with Walker snowing under Cousins. His body did go over Cousins’ head, and Cousins’ head went into the turf. But I defy anyone to watch that and see roughing. With the ball at the half-yard line and a fresh set of downs, of course the Vikings scored a touchdown and hung on for a 37-35 win.
Hell, even Cousins admitted that it was not a good call.
