By Sunday 
The Sunday night matchup between the Eagles and Lions was supposed to be a gritty NFC showdown. Instead, it turned into a refereeing controversy that stole the spotlight—and nobody was louder about it than Cris Collinsworth.
A Slow-Burn Game That Ended in Chaos
The Eagles escaped with a 16-9 win to climb to 8-2, but the finish had fans, players, and broadcasters shaking their heads. Detroit was hanging on late, trying to get the ball back for one final shot. Then it happened.
With just 1:51 left on the clock and the Eagles facing 3rd-and-eight, Jalen Hurts targeted AJ Brown deep downfield. Brown and Lions cornerback Rock Ya-Sin were locked in hand-fighting when a flag suddenly flew.
Pass interference—on Ya-Sin.
The play effectively ended the game.
And that’s when Collinsworth let loose.
“That Is Terrible!” — Collinsworth Has Had Enough
As soon as the call came in, Collinsworth unleashed one of his strongest on-air criticisms in recent memory.
“That is terrible,” he exclaimed as the replay rolled.
Then came the full eruption:
“Come on! That is terrible! That is an absolutely terrible call that’s going to decide this football game! If anything, it’s an offensive push!”
Mike Tirico chimed in too, calling it “certainly hand-fighting, but not even at the level we’ve seen.”
Even Ya-Sin looked confused, thinking the call might go against AJ Brown.
Referee Alex Kemp: No Regrets, No Doubts
While Collinsworth saw one thing, referee Alex Kemp saw another.
Speaking in the pool report, Kemp doubled down:
“The official observed the receiver’s arm getting grabbed and restricting him from going up to make the catch.”
He added:
“So, the ball was in the air, there was a grab at the arm, restricted him, and he called defensive pass interference.”
No hesitation. No second thoughts.
ESPN Analysts and Fans Pile On
ESPN’s Benjamin Solak even posted the clip with the hashtag #AlwaysCommittOPI, suggesting AJ Brown was the one doing the pushing.
Fans echoed the sentiment online. To many, this wasn’t a judgment call—it was a momentum-shifting mistake.
Detroit’s Offense Struggles, but the Call Still Stings
Even without the penalty, the Lions would’ve needed a near-perfect final drive against a tough Eagles defense. And Detroit’s offense… well, it wasn’t pretty.
Jared Goff completed just 14 of 37 passes for 255 yards, with a touchdown and a pick.
Jahmyr Gibbs was the lone bright spot, piling up nearly 150 yards rushing and receiving.
Still, letting the game be decided on a borderline call? That’s a tough pill for any team to swallow—especially one now knocked out of the NFC North race, falling to 6-4 behind Chicago and Green Bay.
A Controversy That Won’t Die Soon
Between the missed calls, the hand-fighting debate, and Collinsworth’s national on-air meltdown, this one will live on in highlight reels and Twitter threads for a long time.
For now, the Eagles celebrate.
The Lions fume.
And the rest of us? We wait for the league to quietly pretend none of this happened.