Dan Campbell Goes Off on Officials for Missing Blatant Head Shot on Jared Goff by Nunez-Roches After Sack

Detroit, Michigan – November 24, 2025

Right after the heart-stopping 34–27 overtime win over the New York Giants, head coach Dan Campbell walked into the press conference looking nothing like a man who had just picked up a crucial playoff-race victory. The topic on his mind wasn’t Jahmyr Gibbs’ historic performance or Jake Bates’ 59-yard field goal; it was one infuriating moment: Giants defender Rakeem Nunez-Roches accidentally kicking Jared Goff directly in the helmet after a sack, with the officials blowing no whistle whatsoever.

Should this have been a flag on Rakeem Nunez-Roches? #Giants #Lions pic.twitter.com/IVpCWRSELo

— Aggregate Sports (@AggregateSports) November 23, 2025

The play happened late in the third quarter. Goff was already on the ground after being sacked by Nunez-Roches when, while high-stepping in celebration, the Giants defender lifted his leg too high and drove his foot straight into Goff’s helmet. The broadcast cameras caught it crystal clear, and the clip exploded across social media, sending Lions fans into a rage over both the danger of the contact and the officials completely ignoring it.

Dan Campbell, who is famous for being blunt and fiercely protective of his players, could not contain himself when asked about the play. He insisted Goff could easily have suffered a serious injury if the contact had been any harder. “I really can’t get over it. Jared is lying motionless on the ground and still gets kicked right in the head. The head is the most dangerous area; everybody knows that. There is no reason, intentional or not, for the officials to let a hit like that go. The way they handled that situation is absolutely unforgivable in an NFL game.” His words instantly earned a wave of support from Lions fans all over social media.

What made the situation even more tense was that the entire Lions sideline recognized how dangerous the contact was. Some players described Goff as “a little dazed” when he got up, though the quarterback still finished the game with his usual composure. Multiple analysts agreed that any contact to a quarterback’s head — especially after he’s already been taken to the ground — should have been flagged at minimum, or at least reviewed.

Even though Detroit escaped with the win and improved to 7–4, the post-game mood was heavily clouded by criticism of the officiating. Campbell stressed again that he doesn’t care whether the Giants player meant it or not; what matters is that player safety was not properly protected. With the viral video and the strong reaction from both the head coach and the fanbase, the NFL will almost certainly be forced to review the incident in the coming days.