Packers get hosed on missed hold, leads to interception and Bucs touchdown

The referees in the NFC Championship Game missed a blatant penalty that led to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers throwing an interception and then a Buccaneers score. 

Late in the first half and trailing 14-10, it may have been a longshot that the Green Bay Packers would score a touchdown and take a lead into halftime over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, they seemed in prime position to either make a move for a field goal or simply run out the clock. Instead, the refs got involved.

After Aaron Rodgers was sacked on first down and Green Bay called a timeout, the quarterback dropped back to pass on second-and-17. He looked for Allen Lazard over the middle of the field in single coverage but Bucs cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting jumped in front of the wide receiver to make a field-turning interception.

However, the refs missed a blatant penalty on the cornerback. As you watch the interception, he clearly takes a hold of Lazard’s shoulder pad to not only slow down the wideout but also push himself in front of the throw:

That’s a holding penalty every day of the week. Murphy-Bunting simply isn’t in position to make that interception without the hold of the shoulder pad. Yes, he could’ve made a deflection and broken up the catch but there is almost no chance he creates a turnover without the penalty. What a terrible miss by the refs.

If losing out on a chance at points wasn’t bad enough, that missed penalty even further affected the game. With the time left on the clock, Tom Brady was able to find Scotty Miller for a deep touchdown with only one second remaining, giving Tampa Bay a 21-10 lead going into halftime.

As Saints fans will tell you, the last thing you want is a missed call determining the outcome of an NFC Championship Game. Yet, that’s exactly what the refs did by not flagging that holding penalty.