It seems like each week around the NFL, officiating does something that makes you think it’s reached a new low.
In Sunday’s game between the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots, we have a new contender for the “worst call of the year.”
On New England’s first possession of the third quarter, facing a third-and-10, Commanders rookie defensive end K.J. Henry beats the left tackle around the edge to sack quarterback Mac Jones. In the process, Jones fumbled and defensive end Efe Obada recovered. The Commanders would have excellent starting field position.
Wait, there’s a flag.
Unbelievably, officials flagged Henry for roughing the passer, negating the rookie’s first career sack and a Washington turnover, and immediately putting the Patriots into field-goal range.
Here’s the play.
This was called roughing the passer…
pic.twitter.com/XxjO4Yue3T— PFF (@PFF) November 5, 2023
It was a horrible call and could’ve cost Washington the game. Afterward, referee Adrian Hill attempted to explain the NFL’s latest mistake.
“I was the calling official, and the call was roughing the passer due to full body weight,” Hill said via Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post. “The ruling on the field was that the defender came down with forceable contact, chest to chest. He didn’t perform one of those acts to remove most of that body weight — a gator roll or a clear to the side when he was coming in. He came down directly with that force on the player, so the category was full body weight.”
Does that explanation satisfy you?
Hill then explains the gator roll.
I mean, this is football.
Henry did nothing wrong and should be celebrating his first NFL sack, which would have also forced a turnover.