You don’t need us to tell you that officiating has been… HIGHLY uneven in the NFL this season, and that is continuing into the playoffs. Shawn Hochuli, the son of legendarily jacked referee Ed Hochuli, seems to share his dad’s penchant for camera time in crucial situations, and this manifested itself in a rather odd penalty with 10:39 left in the first half of the Buccaneers-Rams divisional round game.
Tom Brady was rather unhappy about a hit from Rams edge-rusher Von Miller that drew blood from Brady’s lip, Brady barked about it, and the younger Hochuli gave Brady the first unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of his 22-year NFL career.
Tom Brady charges the official to complain about Von Miller’s late hit. 😤
He gets hit with the first unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of his career 😲 pic.twitter.com/NVBomfMktQ
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) January 23, 2022
Tom Brady was visibly upset after taking a hit to the helmet, giving him a bloody lip.
He was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after this interaction with the referee. pic.twitter.com/DLuXDq7hCj
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 23, 2022
Hochuli also gave Bucs linebacker Lavonte David a 15-yard hit after Tampa Bay’s defense gave up a 70-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Cooper Kupp. We’re not sure when an etiquette overreach became such a crucial part of such a violent game, but it might be time for Hochuli (who had called just two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties this season before this game) to simmer down a bit.