Tag: Penalties

Ex-Broncos DB sets record straight on controversial Chiefs penalties

Check out what former #Broncos DB Aqib Talib had to say about a controversial penalty called in the #Chiefs’ favor over the weekend.

The Kansas City Chiefs have been the subject of controversy this season, with claims that the NFL and its officials overtly favor the defending Super Bowl champions.

Despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary, fans on social media seem determined to undermine the Chiefs’ success with constant jabs about perceived collusion.

The outcry surrounding Kansas City has reached a point where one of the Chiefs’ former rivals, retired Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib, felt the need to chime in and defend the AFC West champions.

Talib took to Twitter on Tuesday to express his opinion on a controversial roughing the passer call in the Chiefs’ latest win over the Houston Texans:

The former University of Kansas star did not hold back in his assertion that the contentious penalty on quarterback Patrick Mahomes was, in fact, the correct call.

Expect to see more uproar if Mahomes gets another roughing the passer call when the Chiefs take on the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium.

Former longtime NFL offensive lineman weighs in on ‘BS holding’ call

Former NFL OL weighs in on those questionable holding calls.

The Washington Commanders won their fourth consecutive game Sunday, defeating the Atlanta Falcons 30-24 to clinch a playoff berth. Quarterback Jayden Daniels led the Commanders on a last-second game-winning drive for the second week in a row.

However, something hangs over Washington’s performance in the last three games: NFL officiating. The Commanders are dealing with mounting injuries and multiple questionable officiating calls. Let’s not forget the mistake officials made in the win over New Orleans in Week 15 by not keeping the clock moving and essentially allowing the Saints a free play to try to win the game. The NFL acknowledged the terrible mistake.

Last week, the Commanders were called for six penalties for 93 yards. Three of them were defensive pass interference penalties on cornerback Marshon Lattimore. Two were called on the same drive, essentially giving the Eagles a touchdown. Former All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman weighed in on those calls.

In the win over the Falcons, Washington was penalized 13 times for 108 yards. In some fairness to officials, several of the calls against the Commanders were correct. Mike Sainristil’s neutral-zone infraction that cost Washington four points was the right call.

However, two holding penalties against right guard Sam Cosmi were highly questionable. Even NBC questioned the penalties, especially the first one, during the broadcast.

On Monday, former NFL offensive lineman Will Montgomery, a 10-year veteran who spent six seasons with Washington, took to X to call the second holding penalty against Cosmi, a “BS holding call.”

Here’s Montgomery’s post:

Montgomery provides some excellent details here. It’s important to note that the first holding call was essentially exactly the same scenario.

Ben Standig of The Athletic, via David Aldridge, noted how Sunday night’s officiating crew was No. 1 in defensive holding calls and No. 2 in offensive holding calls.

NFL officiating impacts every game and every team. Unfortunately, the NFL, with its record ratings and profits, does not see it as an issue. Over the last two games, Washington’s opponents have also been hit with questionable calls. Fortunately for the Commanders, they didn’t lose any of these games.

Discipline has been season-long issue for Seahawks

Discipline has been season-long issue for Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks were driving. Backup running back Zach Charbonnet, starting in place of the injured Kenneth Walker III, rushed for nine yards in the second quarter of Thursday’s eventual 6-3 Week 17 win over the Chicago Bears. Wide receiver DK Metcalf was entangled in a shoving match with Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. Frustrated, Metcalf jabbed Stevenson in the facemask. He was penalized for retaliation, and his personal fouls pushed the offense into a 2nd-and-16 situation as opposed to the scheduled 2nd-and-1.

It was an accurate snapshot of the Seahawks’ season-long discipline issues. Following that miscue, the Seahawks were now averaging a league-leading 34.5 offensive penalty yards per game (517/15) this season, according to Inside Edge NFL. The league average? 25.4 yards, nearly 10 fewer than Seattle’s average weekly output.

Luckily, Geno Smith and the offense overcame Metcalf’s error in judgment. On that 2nd-and-16, Smith connected with tight end Noah Fant for a 13-yard gain, getting the offense into 3rd-and-manageable. Fant came through again, catching a 12-yard pass to give the Seahawks a new set of downs. Metcalf hauled in a 14-yard completion plays later, making up for his 15-yard penalty, and the Seahawks eventually settled for a 50-yard field goal from Jason Myers, taking a 6-3 lead, which would be the final score.

The majority of Seattle’s offensive penalties have been whistled on the offensive line. Pre-snap (false start) and post-snap (holding) infractions have been frequent occurrences. It’s unsurprising when you consider the challenges they’re dealing with up front. They’ve played three different players, all rookies or sophomores, at right guard. Right tackle was a revolving door until Abe Lucas returned. The starting center abruptly retired midseason, thrusting a sophomore into the lineup unexpectedly.

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Justin Strnad, Tremon Smith plead their cases after ‘TNF’ penalties

“I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do,” Broncos LB Justin Strnad said when asked about the Justin Herbert slide.

The Denver Broncos were penalized seven times for 61 yards in a 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football in Week 16.

One of the most crucial fouls came from linebacker Justin Strnad, who was penalized for “barely” hitting sliding Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert on a third down in the third quarter. Instead of facing 4th-and-6 from Denver’s 11-yard line, L.A. was gifted a 1st-and-goal from the five-yard line.

The Chargers went on to score a touchdown. Assuming they would have kicked a field goal on fourth down if not for the penalty, that foul was a four-point swing.

After the game, Strnad initially said he had “no comment” on the play before later saying, “I don’t think it was a penalty.”

When asked if he made contact with Herbert, the linebacker had this response: “I think I like barely hit him. I mean, he’s a huge quarterback, I’m getting ready to tackle him, he slides last second. I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do.”

This is the play in question:

Broncos cornerback Tremon Smith also had a crucial penalty that cost the team points. Just before halftime, Smith made contact with a returner who had called fair catch. The resulting 15-yard penalty gifted the Chargers a fair catch free kick, a three-point swing.

Smith admitted it was a “dumb penalty,” but he also implied that the returner manipulated the situation.

“The returner did a good job of selling it, just running into me even though he wasn’t going to catch the ball,” Smith said. “Like I said, dumb penalties.”

Strnad and Smith will look to bounce back when the Broncos face the Cincinnati Bengals on the road in Week 17.

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Twitter reacts to missed pass interference penalty on ‘TNF’

Tarheeb Still appeared to get away with pass interference against Marvin Mims on Thursday. Here’s how Twitter/X reacted to the no-call.

In the fourth quarter of a Thursday Night Football game at SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles Chargers defensive back Tarheeb Still got away with a blatant pass interference penalty against Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims.

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix underthrew a deep pass to Mims and Still caught up to the receiver and grabbed his arm and made contact before the ball arrived without turning around to look for or defend the ball. It appeared to be textbook pass interference.

No flag was thrown, though, and the Broncos went on to punt while trailing by three points. A completion would have put Denver within field goal range to potentially tie the game (or take the lead with a touchdown).

Here’s a sampling of how Twitter/X reacted to the missed call.

The Broncos went on to lose the game 34-27, so that non-penalty proved to be a crucial play. Of course, no the no-call for DPI would have been a moot point if Nix led Mims. A better pass likely would have resulted in a touchdown.

Up next for Denver is a road game against the Cincinnati Bengals (6-8) next Saturday (Dec. 28). With two games remaining, the Broncos need to win one game to clinch a spot in the NFL playoffs.

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Browns CB Greg Newsome II takes shots at Steelers WR George Pickens ahead of Week 14 rematch

Greg Newsome II calls out George Pickens for the receiver’s selfish play ahead of the Steelers-Browns Week 14 matchup.

The bad blood between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns in Week 14 appears to be starting early, as Browns CB Greg Newsome II held nothing back when discussing his potential matchup with Steelers WR George Pickens.

Week 14 will mark the second meeting between Newsome and Pickens, with their first WR-CB matchup being marred by the chaotic fight that followed the Steelers’ failed Hail Mary attempt in Week 12.

Newsome claimed that Pickens is so focused on himself that he’s willing to jeopardize the Steelers. He argued that anyone who disagrees need only look at the wide receiver’s recent penalties caused by his immature outbursts.

Pickens will need to keep his composure in Week 14’s matchup against the Browns. With his recent in-game implosions and immature antics, teams are likely to focus on pushing him to snap. Fans can watch all the drama and action unfold when the Steelers take on the Browns on December 8 at 1:00 PM EST.

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Mike Tomlin shifts blame away from Joey Porter Jr. regarding penalties

Mike Tomlin defended Joey Porter Jr.’s penalties in Week 13, crediting Tee Higgins’ physical play for the challenges Porter faced.

It’s safe to say that the majority of those watching the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 13 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals were more than disappointed with the number of penalties committed by the Black and Gold, particularly CB Joey Porter Jr., who was responsible for six of the Steelers’ sixteen penalties.

Well, almost everyone. HC Mike Tomlin seemingly gave Porter a pass for his struggles with penalties this week. Speaking on a multitude of Week 13 topics during the postgame press conference, Tomlin had this to say about Porter’s penalty issues: “Tee Higgins got a lot to do with that, man. Tee is a goon. He is. You can’t let him beat you up, while at the same time, the officials are going to call it the way they’re going to call it. Sometimes, man, I kind of absorb some of what comes with that. You cannot let a big dude you up. You got to match fire with fire.”

It’s clear that Tomlin appreciated the physicality Porter showed in Week 13, even if it gave the Cincinnati Bengals plenty of opportunities to score throughout the contest.

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Steelers fans react to penalty-filled Week 13 Steelers’ victory

Fans react to the penalty-filled Week 13 game, where the Steelers overcame miscues and missed calls to secure a win over the Bengals.

While the Pittsburgh Steelers dominated on offense in their Week 13 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, one negative aspect could not be ignored: penalties. A total of 29 penalties were committed by both teams, with 20 being accepted.

The Pittsburgh Steelers players most responsible for their team’s penalty woes were found on both sides of the football, as none other than WR George Pickens and CB Joey Porter Jr. stood out.

Pickens was responsible for 30 penalty yards, while Porter gave the Bengals 57 yards on significant pass interference and defensive holding penalties.

The officiating, however, was not without controversy. The Cincinnati Bengals were essentially gifted a pick-six on a missed call, where CB Cam Taylor-Britt swung Pickens by the helmet to the ground, positioning himself perfectly with no penalty called.

With this in mind, fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers, while satisfied with their team’s victory in Week 13, were understandably frustrated by the penalties. Whether minor, flagrant, or a no-call, here are some of the best fan reactions to the penalty-filled game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals.

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Mike Tomlin has a ‘Joey Porter Jr.’ sized penalty problem

Joey Porter Jr.’s penalties overshadow his coverage skills in the Steelers’ Week 13 victory.

Joey Porter Jr. has delivered some great coverage performances thus far in 2024, but his issues with penalties continue to haunt the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the first three quarters of Week 13’s matchup between the Steelers and Bengals, Porter committed several completely unnecessary penalties that put Cincinnati in prime scoring position.

With less than nine minutes to go in the fourth-quarter of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 13 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals, Porter added two more penalty-worthy plays to what has been a lackluster day from the young Steelers defender.

Porter not only held Higgins on the play but committed his second pass interference penalty in the end zone, practically gift-wrapping the Joe Burrow-led Cincinnati Bengals offense a touchdown.

While Porter’s first pass interference in the end zone was technically uncatchable, it was still a poor decision by the Steelers CB.

Porter continues to rack up additional penalties, with his most recent being an illegal hands to the face with less than three minutes remaining in Week 13.

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George Pickens continues to rack up personal fouls

George Pickens continues to struggle with poor decisions on the field.

We said last week that Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens isn’t talented enough to be such a red flag in games. How much on-field nonsense the Steelers can tolerate has to be balanced out by production and for Pickens, those things aren’t happening.

Barely through two quarters against the Cincinnati Bengals, Pickens already has two personal fouls, one of with was a taunt. This put him on notice that another personal foul of that type would result in an ejection. Fortunately for Pickens, when he got an unsportsmanlike penalty for a finger-gun celebration, the officials decided it didn’t fall into the same category.

Last week Pickens refused to talk to the media after getting into a fight at the end of the Steelers loss to the Cleveland Browns on the team’s final play. If the Steelers can’t find a way to win this one, Pickens will once again have to answer for his behavior and its impact on the team.

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