The Lions’ Cameron Sutton seemingly got away with a…

The Lions’ Cameron Sutton seemingly got away with a blatant hold of Puka Nacua on a critical third down

The Detroit Lions deserve credit. They certainly earned their first playoff win in over three decades over the Los Angeles Rams. To do it over longtime franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford should mean the world to Dan Campbell’s bunch. But most playoff wins usually come with a tinge of luck.

Sunday’s Wild Card affair in Detroit was no different.

With the Rams driving late in the fourth quarter, Stafford had Puka Nacua open — who dominated the Lions’ secondary all night — on a key third and long. Nacua unfortunately couldn’t come down with the catch, and the Rams punted the ball away, never to see it again in their eventual 24-23 loss.

There was just one problem. It seemed pretty apparent that Lions’ defensive back Cameron Sutton got away with an obvious hold of Nacua as Stafford launched the ball in his direction. I’m talking full-on jersey hold and a grip on his hips. But it’s the playoffs, referees will probably keep their whistles to themselves more than usual, and the Lions had homefield advantage.

So … sorry, Rams.

No flag here for Puka Nacua on 3rd down #LARvsDET pic.twitter.com/k3EnwbUIdP

— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) January 15, 2024

That’s not how it should work — the rules shouldn’t change or be open to interpretation just because it’s a playoff setting — but that seems to be what happened here.

Who knows what would’ve happened if Sutton would’ve been called for a penalty? The Lions clearly had no answer for Nacua and a gunslinging Stafford. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Rams come away with a field goal, at minimum, forcing the Lions’ offense to pull out all the stops on their final possession.

But I suppose credit is due to Sutton. Nacua was sauteeing the Lions’ defense. With the game on the line, Sutton understood that if he wasn’t cheating against a locked-in elite receiver, he probably wasn’t trying.

NFL fans on Twitter couldn't believe Sutton got away with holding Nacua

The Lions are getting all the calls tonight.

Missed hold on Nacua there.

— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) January 15, 2024

Refs missing that jersey hold by the Lions on Puka Nacua is HUGE. That’s a first down and puts the Rams in field goal range.

— Brendan Abban (@AbbanBrendan) January 15, 2024

Not a sour grapes thing here as I hit my bet in this Rams/Lions game, but….

The pass interference on Puka Nacua on the Rams final drive gets called 8 out of 10 times. When it doesn't get called, it's usually to the benefit of the home team.

Home field (really) matters.

— Sia Nejad (@SiaNejad) January 15, 2024

The refs are rigging this game in favor of the Lions.

The Lions are getting away with so many calls. That was a holding on Puka Nacua

— Kels Kels (@El_Kels) January 15, 2024

Biggest play of the game to this point…. Missed an obvious defensive holding on Puka Nacua. It never ends.

— Shere Khan🇯🇲 (@lobosolo88) January 15, 2024

Rams in field goal range to potentially take the lead. Aidan Hutchinson slips and gets a holding call. One play later Puka Nacua gets his jersey held and no call.

— Blaine Grisak 💭 (@bgrisakTST) January 15, 2024