The Green Bay Packers made several unforced errors in Sunday’s loss to the Detroit Lions that cost them a playoff berth.
Rasul Douglas attempted to explain one of them on Monday. The Packers cornerback made one of the more bizarre decisions of the NFL season just before halftime that ultimately cost Green Bay 15 yards.
Two seconds before halftime, the Lions got up for a 48-yard field goal while they were 9-3 behind. The Packers called for a timeout to iron out Lions kicker Michael Badgley. As soon as the time-out was called, Douglas walked the line of scrimmage between the opposing players and knocked the ball away from Lions long snapper Scott Daly.
Douglas was tagged in the game – but not for hitting the ball. As expected, Lions players didn’t appreciate his foray into neutral territory. He got a shove in the back from Dan Skipper, who was attacked from the right, and then responded by punching Skipper in his face mask. The strike earned a 15-yard personal foul penalty, and Badgley’s 48-yard try was reduced to 33. He hit the field goal, and the Lions went into halftime trailing 9-6 before rallying for a 20-16 win.
With questions still surfacing about Douglas’ decision as of Monday, he explained so on Twitter. He didn’t want Badgley to get a workout kick.
He was successful on that front but ultimately made Badgley’s job that much easier, cutting field goal distance by nearly a third.
Douglas’ mistake wasn’t the most egregious of the night, however. That honor goes to Quay Walker. The Green Bay linebacker poked a Lions medical coach in the back when the coach stepped in to assist Deandre Swift after the Detroit running back suffered a blow to the head.
That decision put Walker out of the game. It also cost the Packers five yards in the red zone on Detroit’s green touchdown drive.
Rasul Douglas cost the Packers 15 yards with an unforced penalty against the Lions. (Vincent Mignott/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)