Packers-Lions finish spotlights the NFL's officiating crisis
- Kendall Baker, author of Axios Sports

Photo: Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
Mason Crosby drilled a 23-yard FG as time expired to lead the Packers past the Lions, 23-22, on "Monday Night Football."
The state of play: Green Bay benefited from some questionable officiating, most notably 2 fourth-quarter penalties for illegal hands to the face against Detroit's Trey Flowers. Poor officiating is a part of every sport, but since this was on national TV and featured some particularly egregious calls, the outrage is louder than usual.
What they're saying: ESPN's Booger McFarland was ripping the refs from the booth, and that same frustration was prevalent around the league ...
- Rams LB Clay Matthews: "The storyline for the 2019 season continues to be the refs inability to make the accurate and correct calls week in and week out. [NFL SVP of officating] Al Riveron continues to blindly side with his refs and the current status quo. Something must change! Zero accountability."
- Bears CB Eddie Jackson: "These calls cost them the game I really can't believe what I just watched...smh."
A potential solution: This offseason, some coaches wanted to add a "Sky Judge" to the officiating crew — someone who could call down and fix calls that were obviously wrong.
- But the NFL "didn't think it was feasible to give someone that kind of authority," ESPN's Kevin Seifert tweeted. "Might be worth a re-visit."
Go deeper: An 18-game NFL season might be unavoidable