When Flags Decide Games: Lions vs. Steelers
December 22, 2025
This game had every bit of energy of a playoff game as we’ve seen this season. The Detroit Lions and the Pittsburgh Steelers faced off in a heated battle that ended in an inexplicable pass interference call on Amon Ra St. Brown.
Let’s go through the bad blood in the game, and then to the final call. Animosity was prevalent throughout, as Steelers wide receiver D.K. Metcalf pulled on a Lions fan behind the Pittsburgh bench, and seemingly punched the fan in the latest iteration of fan-player bad blood. It will surely result in a hefty fine for the receiver, in what seemed like a largely unprovoked (at least from the camera angles) attack on the fan. Later on the next Pittsburgh drive, Metcalf was called for offensive pass interference, and was loudly jeered by fans.
Speaking of offensive pass interference, let’s go to the game’s final plays. Detroit took the ball 64 yards in two minutes. Detroit drove all the way down to the Steeler nine, before two incompletions brought the Lions to a fourth-and-goal. Jared Goff snapped the ball, threw the ball to the Steeler 1, where it was caught by St. Brown. St. Brown started to be driven back by Jalen Ramsay and another Steeler defender, before pitching the ball back in a desperation act to Goff, who took the ball into the end zone for the seeming winning score.
Yellow laundry littered the field, and the call was devastating for Lion fans who have seen so much heartbreak over the years. The Lions once again managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory: Offensive pass interference on St. Brown.
After further review, St. Brown took his route into the end zone, rag dolled Ramsay about five yards into the end zone, before coming back to catch the ball. To be fair, St. Brown roughed the hell out of Ramsay, prior to the pass. A full, arms-extended shove into the chest of Ramsay, which drew the final flag.
The Lions are now one game out of the playoffs, just behind their NFC North rivals, the Green Bay Packers. The Lions will have to win out to have any remote chance of fighting their way back into the playoff picture.
Brandon, Author
Brandon spends his days managing a plumbing warehouse and his nights obsessing over the Broncos — and somehow still finds time to write for Broncos Wire. A diehard fan with orange and blue running through his veins, he’s currently training his toddler to boo the Chiefs on sight. Insightful, loyal, and just petty enough to be entertaining, Brandon brings the fandom fire every week.
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