Detroit Lions quarterback Matt Stafford was every bit as irate as Lions fans were after a penalty flag for defensive pass interference was picked up in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s wild-card matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.
Stafford was mic’d up for Showtime’s Inside the NFL, and we now have a firsthand look at his reaction to the bizarre sequence of events.
The Lions quarterback first had a shocked look on his face after the flag was picked up. But his confusion quickly turned to anger, and he let referee Pete Morelli know about it.
“Hey, hey Pete! That’s unbelievable, and you know it,” Stafford said. “You know it is, though … How does that get overturned? … Congratulations. It’s unbelievable.”
Stafford then went to the sideline, where he continued on with other officials.
“Can I get explained that one? … Can we explain that or no?”
One official responded by saying Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens was face guarding, which is legal in the NFL.
“Yes, he did face guard him. But there was no contact before the ball arrived,” he said.
Stafford responded in a more calm manner this time, but remained steadfast in his opinion.
“I understand, but your man saw it and threw the penalty,” he said. “I understand that, but I’ve never in the history seen one turned over. Congratulations, man. First time in history that’s happened.”
Stafford then finished off his rant with this gem.
“Home cookin’!”