Another week, another example of officials deciding plays, drives, and games in ways they should not. Perhaps it’s recency bias, but it seems to be happening this season more than ever. In this case, it happened with 11:12 left in the first half of the Philadelphia Eagles’ game against the New Orleans Saints. The Eagles had third-and-4 at the New Orleans 28-yard line, down 13-0, and it certainly appeared as if running back Kenneth Gainwell scored Philly’s first touchdown of the day on a 28-yard scamper.
Not so fast, as they say. It was decided by the officiating crew directed by referee Jerome Boger that guard Landon Dickerson somehow committed holding against defensive tackle Kentavius Street.
10 yard penalty on Landon Dickerson for dominating a grown ass man pic.twitter.com/s4TcRIWPs2
— Crossing Broad (@CrossingBroad) January 1, 2023
You tell us where the holding is there. On the next play after that should-have-been touchdown was negated, quarterback Gardner Minshew threw incomplete to receiver A.J. Brown, and it was up to kicker Jake Elliott to boot a 56-yard field goal, which he did.
The Eagles are trying to wrap up the NFC’s one-seed and home-field advantage through the playoffs, so it’s not as if this is an important game or anything.
If you’re familiar with Boger’s work in other areas, it should come as little surprise that his crew was on the wrong side of this one.