For all the general derision Detroit Lions cornerback Kindle Vildor draws, he had a nice performance against the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving Day. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed two catches for 14 yards on four targets along with three tackles.
But, not due to a mistake he made or a piece of bad fortune (see last year's NFC Championship Game on the latter front), the conversation around Vildor after Thursday's game has centered around a questionable pass interference call on a 4th-and-14 play that extended Chicago's ultimately ill-fated final drive.
Everyone was confused by the call, including Vildor.
"I was confused," Vildor said, via the Detroit Free Press. "Everybody gets called for pass interference, but right there, I didn’t really see anything. I didn’t do anything. It was crazy. The ref told me after the game, he said that he thought I was grabbing him as I was going back towards the ball. It was unbelievable for me, man, but we still won, so I ain’t even worried about it no more."
Here's the all-22 of the egregious PI call, slowed down to 0.75 speed. https://t.co/gjkacid7RK pic.twitter.com/2PPBaCgmev
— Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) November 29, 2024
Lions radio analyst calls out pass interference call on Kindle Vildor
Former Lions offensive tackle T.J. Lang is the on-field reporter during games for the flagship radio network. So he was on the field, perhaps with a very good view of the play where Vildor was flagged for pass interference.
Hours after the game, via Twitter, Lang did not mince words to call out the penalty on Vildor.
"Bears no doubt botched the end of that game.. but it never should’ve happened in the first place. That PI call on 4th and long was one of the biggest horse s**t calls I’ve ever seen. Karma."
After an incompletion, an illegal use of the hands penalty on offensive lineman Tevin Jenkins and a Za'Darius Smith sack of Caleb Williams, the Bears inexplicably failed to use their final timeout and ran just one more play before time expired. So the penalty on Vildor did not end up being costly, but as Lang suggested the whole final sequence wouldn't have even happened if not for the questionable call.