Ex-Green Bay star Nick Collins says the Lions have nobody to blame but themselves -- not even garbage refs -- for their loss to the Packers ... telling TMZ Sports Detroit just blew it!!!
"They had so many opportunities to win that game," Collins says.
If you missed it ... the refs on "Monday Night Football" were as bad as they've been all season -- throwing flags for two questionable illegal hands to the face fouls that helped lift the Packers to a win.
Look, it wasn’t “prolonged” contact, and shouldn’t have been a penalty, but Trey Flowers at least brushed David Bakhtiari’s facemask (ever so briefly) on the first illegal-hands flag. There’s at least a case that could be made, if still a bad one.
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) October 15, 2019
The second one? Yeah, no. pic.twitter.com/27FIGO5AOI
But, Collins -- who admits the calls were trash -- says despite those penalties the Lions still had every opportunity to take control of the NFC North ... and they just didn't.
"Those calls probably played a factor," Collins says, "but they had a chance to just blow the game out of proportion."
Collins also tells us the Lions were helped out by sloppy play from the Pack ... saying if Green Bay didn't turn over the ball THREE times -- the game would've gotten ugly!!!
By the way, Nick says after their win over Detroit ... he believes the Packers are now the favorite for the North crown -- especially if they get a win Sunday over the Raiders.