Tag: false starts

Who’s responsible for Saints leading the NFL in false start penalties?

The Saints lead the league in pre-snap penalties, specifically false starts. So who is responsible? Coaches deserve some blame, but there are plenty of repeat offenders:

Self-inflicted wounds have held the New Orleans Saints back all season, and they’ve manifested nowhere better than in penalties. Procedural fouls and pre-snap infractions have haunted the Saints every step of the way in 2022, and they still haven’t improved in recent weeks.

The Saints rank fourth in the league with 80 penalties and seventh in penalties per game (6.7), and they’ve been fouled more often for false starts (22, which leads the NFL) than anything else. Their second- and third-most common infractions are defensive holding (12) and offensive holding (10), which equal the number of false starts put together. This has been a unique problem for them.

So who is responsible? The coaching staff deserves a lot of blame for not picking up on this trend and taking action early on. It’s been a problem along the offensive line and at other position groups. Whatever they’ve tried in practice to work on it hasn’t taken effect. But the players are at fault too — especially repeat offenders. Here are all of the Saints players who have been fouled for false starts this season, :

Texans C Nick Martin blames whole offensive line for LT Laremy Tunsil’s false starts

Houston Texans center Nick Martin blames the offensive line for left tackle Laremy Tunsil’s false start issues last season.

Laremy Tunsil had a notorious first season with the Houston Texans.

The former 2016 first-round pick made his first Pro Bowl, but also led the NFL with 14 false starts, and being the catalyst for the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain coining the term “Tunsilitis.”

Tunsil has taken responsibility for his part in the penalties that cost the Texans offense 70 yards over the course of the season. However, center Nick Martin won’t place the blame squarely on Tunsil’s shoulders.

“It’s all of us,” Martin said. “It’s never one person, no matter what it is. It’s a group effort. You’ve got five guys out there. You’ve got half the offense and it really is — it’s never on one of us. Obviously, he’s quick and he’s athletic and he’s going to do what he does. We’re not worried about him.”

Tunsil signed a three-year, $66 million contract extension with the Texans in the offseason, which makes him the highest paid offensive lineman in the game. Along with the having the biggest contract, Tunsil seeks to have as significant of an impact on the Texans offense.

“I’m very excited,” said Martin. “The tape doesn’t lie. We always say that in football, and you watch the tape and he’s dominating. We’re excited to have him here for a long time. I’m excited to play with him and see what this o-line can do.”

For the first time since 2011, the Texans will return all five starters along the offensive line. As a result, Houston should enjoy continuity along the blocking unit as they seek to defend their AFC South title.

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