Referee Alex Kemp Breaks Silence on Controversial Pass Interference Call Sparking Outrage in Lions-Eagles Showdown

With the clock winding down to just under two minutes in Philadelphia, the Detroit Lions found themselves teetering on the brink of a game-changing stop—a chance to snatch a punt from the Eagles and swing momentum with a late touchdown in a tight 16-9 contest. For a fleeting moment, it seemed Detroit had sealed the deal. But then, as if summoned by fate, the officials—decked out in their traditional black and white—stepped in, flagging cornerback Rock Ya-Sin for pass interference against A.J. Brown. The penalty wasn’t just controversial; it was downright infuriating, drawing sharp criticism from none other than Cris Collinsworth, who labeled it “absolutely terrible.” And this scenario? It’s all too familiar—a refereeing call that refuses to admit error, instead doubling down with explanations that ring hollow. After the dust settled, referee Alex Kemp defended the decision with a factual rerun, but never a hint of remorse or acknowledgment of potential misjudgment. This kind of defensive posturing from the league’s officials isn’t merely frustrating—it chips away at the very trust between fans and the game itself. The NFL’s ongoing reluctance to own up to mistakes only fuels deeper suspicions, especially in an era where transparency is not just desired, but demanded. It’s high time the league rethinks its approach. Why not appoint a seasoned spokesperson who can tackle these tough questions head-on, delivering honest answers regardless of the fallout? Because at the end of the day, the only way to defuse the knee-jerk suspicion that a blown call might be something more than human error is with plain, unvarnished truth. Anything less? Well, let’s just say it’s a recipe for continued rancor and mistrust—something the NFL really can’t afford. LEARN MORE

With 1:51 to play on Sunday night in Philadelphia, the Lions had a chance to force an Eagles punt and potentially score a late touchdown, in a 16-9 game.

Detroit made the stop. Until the Men in Black (and White) got involved, flagging Detroit cornerback Rock Ya-Sin for interfering with receiver A.J. Brown. NBC’s Cris Collinsworth pulled no punches, calling the penalty “absolutely terrible.”

After the game, referee Alex Kemp was made available to pool reporter Zach Berman.

“Why the pass interference on that play?” Berman asked.

“The official observed the receiver’s arm getting grabbed and restricting him from going up to make the catch,” Kemp said. “So, the ball was in the air, there was a grab at the arm, restricted him and he called defensive pass interference.”

It’s just the latest example of the pointlessness of pool reports. Rarely, if ever, does the referee say, “We made a mistake.” Instead, they routinely restate the erroneous factual basis for the bad decision made in real time.

While the league may think this counts as transparency, it smacks of propaganda. When a clear error has been made, the only acceptable alternative to admitting the blunder should be to say nothing.

As the Commissioner said in 2012, in the halcyon days of the NFL’s hatred of sports betting, “If gambling is permitted freely on sporting events, normal incidents of the game such as bad snaps, dropped passes, turnovers, penalties, and play calling inevitably will fuel speculation, distrust, and accusations of point-shaving or game-fixing.”

The potential motivation for normal incidents of the game becomes no less abnormal when the official explanation from the referee responsible for the crew that made a mistake says anything other than, “We made a mistake.”

The better approach would be for the league to have a skilled and polished officiating spokesperson who talks to reporters after each weekend of games, who takes any and all questions about officiating decisions from the weekend that was, and who gives candid, accurate, and truthful responses — without regard to whether the officials who made mistakes will be upset that their mistakes were publicly acknowledged.

That’s the only way to counter the knee-jerk reaction that a mistake was something more than a mistake. And it’s a continuing mistake for the NFL to not acknowledge this basic truth and act accordingly.