Lions receiver Golden Tate was not happy with the officiating in Sunday’s loss to the Vikings.
Asked on Monday if the Vikings took some cheap shots, Tate answered, “One hundred and ten percent.”
The officials threw plenty of flags on Sunday, with the Vikings being penalized 10 times for 97 yards and the Lions six times for 39 yards. According to Tate, the Vikings would have had a lot more penalties if the officials had called everything by the book.
“After watching the film there were several holds, late hits that I thought should have been called. A couple of them I wouldn’t be surprised if we turn them in [to the NFL],” Tate said, via the Detroit Free Press. “But then again, that’s part of playing on the road. You’ve got to control that by not making the game close and busting it wide open. So that’s what we should have done better. But there were a few plays out there that I think were clear violations of this game.”
Tate declined to say which plays he was referring to, other than to say, “There were a couple. Several. A bunch.”
Lions coach Jim Caldwell, however, said he didn’t have a problem with the officiating, calling it a tough, physical game that the officials called appropriately. That’s a wise approach for Caldwell to take. The 0-2 Lions have a lot they need to improve, and they’d be better off focusing on the things they can control.