Tag: Penalty

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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Former NFL head coach says Saints got away with foul on game-winning FG block

Former NFL head coach Jay Gruden says the Saints got away with a foul on their game-winning field goal block. Check the tape for yourself:


There’s no love lost between Jay Gruden and the New York Giants — he coached against them with Washington from 2014 to 2019, going 4-7. The second-to-last game he coached was a 24-3 loss to Big Blue. But the former NFL head coach put the Giants’ close loss to the New Orleans Saints under a microscope when studying this week’s games, and he says the Saints may have gotten away with a penalty on their game-winning blocked field goal.

Gruden highlighted two Saints defensive linemen on the field goal try, Payton Turner and Nathan Shepherd, who pulled and pushed down the left guard and center, creating a gap for Bryan Bresee to leap through, arms extended for the block. That could count as a block in the back or defensive holding, but obviously no penalty was called this time.

“This referee is saying ‘Oh yeah that’s a flag, I got it,'” Gruden said, noticing the umpire’s hand dive into his pocket to grab a penalty marker. But the official decided to keep the flag where it was, and the play stood as a game-winner for New Orleans.

It’s not like referee Clete Blakeman and his crew hadn’t thrown many flags that day. They had fouled the Saints six times for a loss of 40 yards. But they did hit the Giants a dozen times for a staggering 112 penalty yards. They lived up to their reputation as one of the NFL’s most flag-happy officiating crews. So maybe the Saints did get away with one here. Either way, they got a win, and that’s what will be remembered.

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NFL’s flag-happiest referee assigned to Saints-Giants game

The New Orleans Saints and New York Giants are going to have to deal with the NFL’s flag-happiest referee in Sunday’s Week 14 matchup:

The New Orleans Saints and New York Giants might be seeing a lot of yellow on Sunday as their matchup got assigned the most flag-happy referee in the NFL.

Clete Blakeman was assigned the Week 14 matchup of Saints-Giants per Football Zebras. Blakeman’s crews lead the league in both penalties per game (15.3) and penalty yards per game (128.5).

Neither team will be excited to see him on the sidelines, but New York especially. In the games of theirs that they have played in with him as the referee, they are just 3-6. New Orleans doesn’t have a spectacular record, but at least it is a balanced 7-7.

Blakeman was the referee for the Saints’ 51-27 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier this season. New Orleans was penalized seven times for 70 yards. The Buccaneers, however, were hit 12 times for 86 yards. At worst, he and his crew don’t seem to have a negative lean towards the Saints. Let’s hope for a clean game on Sunday.

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Broncos QB Bo Nix went viral after yelling at Browns to ‘jump offsides!’

Broncos QB Bo Nix went viral during MNF after he pulled a page out of Jameis Winston’s playbook and yelled at the defense to jump offsides!

During the Cleveland Browns’ 24-19 upset win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12, quarterback Jameis Winston was caught mic’d up shouting, “Somebody jump offsides!”

One week later, Winston and the Browns faced the Denver Broncos and quarterback Bo Nix gave a good-natured nod to his counterpart.

Facing a 4th-and-2 while leading by three points late in the third quarter, Nix attempted to draw Cleveland’s defenders offside with a hard count. The Browns didn’t fall for it and Nix pulled a page out of Winston’s playbook.

“Jump offsides!” Nix said with a big smile before Denver conceded a delay of game penalty and kicked a field goal.

Fans appreciated the funny moment, and it’s gone viral on Twitter/X.

The Broncos went on to beat the Browns 41-32 and Nix spoke glowingly about Winston following the game. Up next for Denver is a bye in Week 14 followed by a home game against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15.

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‘Worst 11-1’ trends on Twitter after controversial penalty leads to Chiefs win vs. Raiders

Football fans made the term ‘Worst 11-1’ trend on Twitter after a controversial penalty helped the #Chiefs beat the #Raiders in Week 13.

The Kansas City Chiefs became the first team in the NFL to clinch a playoff berth after defeating the Las Vegas Raiders 19-17 on Black Friday.

However, a controversial penalty at the end of the game left a bad taste in the mouths of Raiders fans, who won’t be keen to congratulate the Chiefs on their impressive accomplishment.

Friday’s AFC West matchup was decided by an illegal shift penalty against the Raiders that occurred just before Las Vegas got a chance to kick a game-winning field goal in the final seconds of the fourth quarter.

After what was arguably one of Kansas City’s worst performances this season, Raiders fans were less than pleased that Las Vegas had bungled its comeback attempt. The Raiders faithful were so incensed about the loss that they got the term ‘Worst 11-1’ to trend on Twitter.

Take a look at the play that caused the online uproar:

Take a look at what fans on Twitter had to say about the Chiefs’ win over the Raiders:

Top reactions:

Chiefs clinched playoff berth after Week 13 victory over Raiders

The Kansas City #Chiefs clinched a playoff berth after their Week 13 victory over the Las Vegas #Raiders on Black Friday.

The Kansas City Chiefs guaranteed their spot in the AFC playoffs after securing a Week 13 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Black Friday.

The Chiefs seemed destined to lose their matchup against Las Vegas after Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell led a heroic two-minute drill that got his team in field goal range facing a two-point deficit.

But, when rookie center Jackson Powers-Johnson botched a snap to O’Connell with 15 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Kansas City’s defense made the most of its opportunity to close out the game.

Star linebacker Nick Bolton lept on the ball, and the Chiefs took possession after the referees called a controversial penalty that Kansas City had the option to decline.

This was among the Chiefs’ sloppiest wins in a season that has seen the defending Super Bowl champions stack victories seemingly against all odds.

With its spot in the playoffs now secured, Kansas City officially controls its own destiny in the race to earn the AFC’s No. 1 seed, and a coveted bye in the Wild Card round.

Final score: Chiefs defeat Raiders 19-17 after unbelievable penalty

The Kansas City #Chiefs earned a 19-17 win in Week 13 after an unbelievable penalty by Las Vegas #Raiders center Jackson Powers-Johnson.

The Kansas City Chiefs nearly lost their second game of the 2024 regular season against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 13 but were bailed out by an unbelievable penalty on the matchup’s penultimate play.

Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell marched Las Vegas downfield on a heroic drive that seemed to have his team in a position to knock off the defending Super Bowl champions on a last-second field goal.

But, when rookie center Jackson Powers-Johnson mistakenly snapped the ball to an unsuspecting O’Connell on a crucial third down with 15 seconds left in the game, the Chiefs made the most of the Raiders’ miscue.

Linebacker Nick Bolton lept on the ball, which had deflected off of O’Connell and onto the ground.

A flag, which was assumed to be for a false start on Powers-Johnson, was thrown, and Las Vegas seemed poised to retake possession.

But, after officials on the field deliberated, an illegal shift was called, which gave Kansas City the option to decline the penalty and gain possession.

Patrick Mahomes kneeled on the game’s final play to officially clinch the Chiefs a 19-17 win after a forgettable outing by the reigning Super Bowl champions.

Twitter can’t believe yet another missed call from Broncos-Chiefs game

The Chiefs got away with blatant penalties against the Broncos on Sunday. The NFL has to do something about the officiating.

The Kansas City Chiefs benefited from some questionable officiating in their 16-14 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

The most egregious case was a phantom illegal contact foul called against Broncos safety Brandon Jones in the second quarter. That penalty kept a Chiefs drive alive and was at least a four-point swing.

That certainly wasn’t the only questionable decision from the officiating crew.

NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger took to Twitter/X on Monday to show Kansas City’s offensive line getting away with an obvious hold.

“I don’t know, it’s getting like a little ridiculous right here,” Baldinger says as he shows Broncos defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers blatantly held by Chiefs offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor. “I’ll just leave the commentary to you. All right, they got the sack … but, I mean, I guess they’re just not gonna throw the flags.”

Fans, pundits and even former players have weighed in on the missed calls (and bad calls) from Sunday’s game.

Sayre Bedinger of Predominantly Orange summed it up well — it’s not that we believe there’s a grand conspiracy. Fans are simply tired of inconsistent officiating and Kansas City seemingly getting preferential treatment and the benefit of the doubt every week. It’s a recurring issue, and NFL fans are sick of it.

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The All-22 angle of the Brandon Jones ‘penalty’ is outrageous

That’s it?!? Such an absolutely terrible call from the referee.

The Kansas City Chiefs were given a gift in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos.

After Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was sacked by Broncos pass rusher Nik Bonitto for an 11-yard loss on third down, Kansas City would have been looking at a very long field goal attempt (or, perhaps more likely, a punt) if not for a controversial penalty.

Denver safety Brandon Jones was penalized for illegal contact, giving the Chiefs an automatic first down. Instead of fourth-and-20 from the 44-yard line, Kansas City was given a first down at the 28-yard line.

The Chiefs went on to score a touchdown and the penalty sparked outrage from both fans and pundits on social media. In a game that ended up being decided by just two points, that seven-point swing was crucial.

The All-22 film became available on Monday and the call remains questionable at best. Jones is the safety in the top middle of the screen wearing No. 22:

It was minimal contact, the kind of routine coverage that happens on many plays without flags.

The Broncos had chances to win the game later, and blaming the officials won’t change the outcome of the game, but that was a blatantly bad call.

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NFL assigns Carl Cheffers as referee for Falcons vs. Saints

Carl Cheffers and his crew will be responsible for the officiating in Sunday’s matchup between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons:

Carl Cheffers and his crew will be responsible for the officiating in Sunday’s matchup between the Falcons and the Saints. Cheffers has thrown 97 total flags this season, 28 of which were on the home team and 45 of which were on the away team.

That’s an average of roughly 12 total flags per game for a total of 589 yards, good for roughly middle of the pack in the league.

The last time the Saints played a game with Cheffers officiating was on Dec. 17, 2023 against the New York Giants. He called six penalties against the Saints for a total of 58 yards. New Orleans recorded a dominant victory in that one, 24-6. The Saints are 15-4 in games which Cheffers has refereed.

The Falcons last saw Cheffers officiating when they played the Detroit Lions on Sept. 24, 2023, wielding four penalties for 24 yards. Atlanta did not get the outcome it wanted in that game, losing 20-6. The Falcons are 7-8 in games with Cheffers at head referee.

It will be interesting to see what happens, with the Falcons highly favored, as both teams are set to kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 10.

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