It’s a little late.
NFC Wild Card Playoffs: Green Bay Packers v Philadelphia Eagles | Al Bello/GettyImages
Everyone could see it.
No matter which angle the TV broadcast showed, two things became quickly apparent. Keisean Nixon had recovered his fumble, and former Green Bay Packers linebacker Oren Burks had committed an unnecessary roughness penalty after leading with his helmet.
The only people who disagreed were the ones that mattered most. The referees not only missed the penalty but also stuck with the on-field decision that the Eagles had recovered the football, even after a replay review.
In what turned out to be a defensive battle for much of the game, a turnover on the opening kickoff put the Packers immediately behind the eight-ball. It effectively handed Philadelphia free points, and Green Bay never recovered.
At worst, they should’ve seen Nixon had recovered the ball. Even better, they should’ve spotted the unnecessary roughness penalty and handed the Packers an additional 15 yards.
The NFL has since admitted their mistake, but it’s too late.
NFL hands Oren Burks a fine for hit on Keisean Nixon in Packers-Eagles playoff game
Oh, now the NFL is going to step in?
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the league has fined Burks $8,333 for “unnecessary roughness (use of helmet).”
Don’t worry, Packers fans. Sure, the refs made an awful call that played a significant role in Green Bay’s playoff loss, but at least the league has fined Burks for it. If a sarcasm font existed, it would currently be in use.
It happens. The refs will miss calls, and the Packers didn’t do enough offensively or on special teams to win the game. You can never allow a bad officiating decision to cost you. The loss left Green Bay with some big questions on both sides of the ball.
Is wide receiver a priority this offseason? How will the team address the pass rush? What about cornerback?
General manager Brian Gutekunst spoke about the Packers needing to have a “sense of urgency” moving forward. It’s a huge offseason.
That said, it still hurts to see the NFL basically admit they were wrong on such a crucial play. Yes, it was the first play of the game, but it handed the Eagles an extra possession in Packers territory, leading to a quick touchdown.
Green Bay didn’t play well enough to win the game, but who knows what might’ve happened had it put together a scoring drive to take the lead? Instead, a bad call handed Philadelphia an early advantage, and the rest was history.
