Lions fans were upset about a couple of personal foul calls that went against their team in Sunday’s loss to the 49ers. Now the league office has weighed in, fining one Lion but clearing the other.
The NFL fined Detroit tight end Brandon Pettigrew $7,500 for a chop block. The penalty on that play was extremely costly for the Lions, wiping out a long pass that set them up with first-and-goal, and it was a close call that the Lions (and the FOX announcers working the game) thought the officials should have let go. But the league office apparently disagreed.
However, the league office has essentially confirmed that another call that went against the Lions, a horse collar tackle on defensive back Chris Houston, should not have been a penalty. Houston was not fined for his alleged horse collar tackle on Frank Gore, which gave the 49ers 15 yards and helped to set up a field goal.
No word on whether the officials have been fined for spotting the ball in the wrong place on the 49ers’ game-winning drive.