NFL Announcement Brings Lions QB Jared Goff Good News

The Detroit Lions fell in a fairly surprising loss to the the Washington Commanders during their first playoff game of the season, with a 45-31 final tally. It’s a game they were favored to win by double digits, and it was at home, so it goes without saying that more than a few Lions followers still have broken hearts from the game.

Now, at least, the NFL is reprimanding a Commanders player who got away with a bad play during the matchup, so there’s some justice being served.

Commanders Player Penalized for Hit on Lions QB Jared Goff

During the divisional playoff game, Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu wasn’t called for a roughing the passer penalty with Goff that would have invalidated a pick-six. Fans were livid at the time, but the pick-six stood for the game.

Well, the NFL announced a $16,883 fine for Luvu on Saturday, January 25, stating that the fine is for a “blow to the head/neck” of Goff.

Of course, what’s done is done, and it doesn’t move the needle on the outcome of the game. The Lions are still out of the playoffs, and the Commanders will take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, January 26, in the NFC Championship game. But, at least it shows that Luvu, indeed, wasn’t supposed to give Goff a hit like that, and the NFL is acknowledging that.

It should also make Goff feel better that, yes, there likely should have been a penalty on that play that resulted in a pick-six.

NFL analyst and expert Tom Pelissero acknowledged that the pick-six was a crucial turning point in the Lions and Commanders game.

“The NFL fined Commanders LB Frankie Luvu $16,883 for roughing the passer (blow to the head/neck) — his block on Lions QB Jared Goff that aided a pick-six return,” Pelissero stated on X on Saturday. “No flag was thrown on what ended up being a pivotal play in Washington’s upset win.”