The Detroit Lions are currently existing in some alternate officiating dimension — one where pass interference simply doesn’t get called in their favor. Ever.
And on Friday, Dan Campbell basically said what every Lions fan has been muttering for weeks:
Yeah… we’re just as confused as you are.
The Lions Have Drawn Zero Pass Interference Flags in 2025
Through 11 weeks, Detroit hasn’t benefited from a single defensive PI. They’re the lone NFL team stuck at zero.
And this isn’t a sudden trend. Last season? They drew exactly one PI call.
For perspective, from 2020 through 2025, teams averaged 9.05 defensive pass interference calls per season.
Detroit: 1 last year, 0 this year.
Something is clearly off.
Meanwhile… PI Flags Keep Getting Called Against Detroit
This is where it gets even stranger:
PI in Detroit’s favor: 0
PI called on Detroit: 7 (already in 2025)
And don’t forget: Detroit had 18 defensive pass interference penalties in 2024, including the playoffs.
So referees are willing to throw PI flags. Just not for the Lions.
Campbell’s Reaction? “I Don’t Know. I Don’t Know, I Don’t Know.”
Asked about the anomaly before practice, Campbell didn’t sugarcoat the confusion.
He genuinely had no answer.
> “No, it’s interesting. We’ve talked about that before… As far as everything else, I don’t know. I don’t know, I don’t know.”
It was classic Dan Campbell bewilderment — the same tone he uses whenever someone drags him into a conversation about analytics he doesn’t care about.
Is Amon-Ra St. Brown Too Strong to Draw a Call?
Campbell did toss out one possible explanation: Amon-Ra St. Brown’s strength works against him.
> “Saint is so freaking strong that he can pull himself out of being held pretty good… whereas some other guys, if you don’t have a lot of strength, at one tug, you can really notice it.”
In other words, refs don’t see the interference because St. Brown powers right through it.
He’s so good at fighting through contact that the fouls become invisible.
Detroit Coaches “Violent Separation” — Maybe Refs Think That Means No PI
Campbell also brought up a major emphasis in their receiver room: physical, forceful separation.
> “It’s about separating. You do everything you can to separate violently… and I do feel like our guys do a good job of separating.”
If a receiver explodes out of a DB’s grasp, officials might assume the coverage was clean — even when it wasn’t.
So the Lions’ own technique might unintentionally be eliminating potential PI calls.
What’s the Actual Explanation? Nobody Has One.
There’s no scheme flaw. No communication breakdown. No lack of effort.
Detroit simply cannot get a pass interference flag to save their lives — regardless of how clear it seems on replay or how often Campbell chats up the refs.
Until something changes, the Lions will have to continue playing through contact and creating windows on their own… because the officiating certainly isn’t giving them any help.
