‘Absolute garbage’ penalty call ‘robbed’ fans of epic finish, and what else they’re saying about Eagles-Lions

Controversial penalty aside, there was a lot of praise for the Birds following their defensive domination of Detroit.

Detroit Lions cornerback Rock Ya-Sin, a Temple product, was called for a questionable pass interference penalty on Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown late in Sunday night's win.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

Published Nov. 17, 2025, 1:49 p.m. ET

The Eagles picked up a big Sunday Night Football win over the Detroit Lions at Lincoln Financial Field.

The defense shut down one of the NFL’s best offenses, but the game wasn’t without a few minor controversies. Here’s what the national media is saying about the Birds after their 16-9 win …

An ‘absolute garbage’ penalty

A defensive pass interference call on Rock Ya-Sin ultimately iced the game for the Eagles, but was it fair?

On the broadcast, Cris Collinsworth immediately called it out as a “terrible” penalty, which should arguably have been on A.J. Brown, instead of Ya-Sin.

The morning was not any kinder to referee Alex Kemp, who told a pool reporter that “the official observed the receiver’s arm getting grabbed and restricting him from going up to make the catch.”

Many members of national media were not buying that justification.

“That is absolute garbage right here,” Rex Ryan said on Get Up. “You’re making it worse by coming up with that B.S. Here’s the problem, NFL. The entire country saw this, and everybody knows, except the guy that throws the flag here. I don’t know what the hell he’s thinking … You can’t cover a guy any better than this.”

Ryan wasn’t alone.

“As you see this type of game unfold, you know it’s going to come down to an epic finish,” Cam Newton said. “We were robbed of that, because, what happened to physicality and letting them play, ref? We didn’t see that. The ref made it about himself. Was it touchy-touchy? Yes, but was it that type of game? Absolutely.”

‘I don’t see [another] loss on their schedule’

After the win, the Birds now sit at 8-2, firmly in control of the NFC East, with games against the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, Buffalo Bills, and Washington Commanders left to play.

So do the Eagles, winners of four straight, have another loss in them with the schedule as it stands? Kay Adams doesn’t think so.

“This was not my favorite game to watch, cinematically, but who the hell cares, because a win’s a win,” Adams said. “... I don’t see anyone beating them the rest of the year. I don’t see a loss on their schedule the rest of the way. I can’t remember seeing anyone make Jared Goff look this uncomfortable.”

The Eagles ‘beat them down’

For all the hand-wringing about the offense’s struggles, Vic Fangio’s defense continues to perform at an elite level week after week. On First Take, Stephen A. Smith said the defense was far more impressive than the offense was weak.

“You’ve got the second-ranked offense in the NFL coming into the game, averaging 31 points a game,” Smith said. “You didn’t just beat them, you beat them down.”

The Birds forced what may have been the worst performance of Jared Goff’s career. Goff, who was leading the NFL in completion percentage coming into the game, completed just 14 of 37 passes, the worst completion percentage of his NFL career. The Lions went 3-for-13 on third down and were 0-for-5 on fourth down conversion attempts.

Dan Orlovsky said the Eagles’ improved pass rush — thanks to the trade deadline acquisition of Jaelan Phillips from Miami — is reestablishing the defense as the class of the NFL.

“I’m praising Howie Roseman,” Orlovsky said. “This Jaelan Phillips addition feels like it’s going to be the Von Miller addition to the Rams from several years ago. This defense is the best defense in football along with the Rams and Seattle Seahawks.”