The Green Bay Packers benefited from a massive stroke of luck on Thanksgiving, escaping what should have been a costly mistake during the second quarter of their matchup with the Detroit Lions.

When media members pressed Matt LaFleur about the officiating miscue, the Packers head coach responded with sarcasm that made it clear he knew exactly how questionable the decision was — and how often similar lapses seem to occur around the league.

Matt LaFleur Drops a Six-Word Zinger at the Refs

On a fourth-and-1 from Detroit’s two-yard line, Green Bay’s right guard jumped early. Flags flew immediately. Then, in a stunning reversal, officials announced that LaFleur had called timeout first — even though replays showed the coach signaling after the lineman moved.

Instead of being pushed back to fourth-and-6, the Packers were allowed to keep the down and distance, and Jordan Love connected with Romeo Doubs on the very next play for a touchdown.

After the game, LaFleur delivered a tongue-in-cheek answer when asked about the ruling:
“Of course they got it right,” he said, adding a wink. “I was calling timeout.”

NFL commentator Dov Kleiman enjoyed the moment, noting online: “They’re not even trying to hide it…”

LaFleur’s expression said everything. He recognized the officials had essentially handed his team a lifeline, and he wasn’t making any effort to mask that reality. The wink was a playful admission that the Packers had caught a fortunate break.

FOX’s broadcast cut together multiple replay angles, and none supported the officials’ explanation. LaFleur was clearly racing from the sideline waving for a timeout — but only after the false start had already occurred.

Sideline reporter Tom Rinaldi suggested that the referees might not have heard LaFleur because Ford Field was so loud. But with the game in the books and the footage available, that justification no longer holds up.

To add to the confusion, the officiating crew defended its decision in the postgame report, insisting the timeout was granted before the movement on the line. The video evidence strongly contradicts that claim, making the explanation sound more like damage control than truth.

Fans Divided Over LaFleur’s Sarcasm

The coach’s playful postgame comments sparked a mixed reaction across social media. Some people appreciated the honesty and humor. Others — especially Lions supporters — weren’t thrilled by his wink-and-nod acknowledgment.

One fan joked, “Well, that settles it. Can we move on now?”

Another laughed, “He’s just messing around. Love it.”

A third wrote, “People are starting to notice.”

And someone else chimed in with, “We know who paid them off.”

Whether fair or not, breaks like this happen, and teams normally just take what the officials give them and keep playing. LaFleur did exactly that — he just couldn’t resist adding a little extra flair after the win.