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The Buffalo Bills earned a key divisional victory on Monday Night Football, taking down Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets to move to 4-2.
But the win was marred by a series of questionable calls from officials, including a pair against the Bills that sparked outrage. There were 22 total accepted penalties in the game, 11 against the Bills for 94 total yards and 11 against the Jets for 110 yards.
One of the calls, a roughing the passer penalty that gave the Jets a key first down in the third quarter, was so controversial that even Rodgers admitted it should not have been called.
Aaron Rodgers Calls Out ‘Really Bad’ Penalties
One of the most questionable calls came in the third quarter with the Bills holding a 20-13 lead and the Jets facing a third-and-8. Bills edge rusher A.J. Epenesa sacked quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the play but was flagged for roughing the passer, a call that drew controversy.
The penalty was costly for the Bills, giving the Jets a first down instead of a drive-ending sack. The Jets would go on to kick a field goal on the drive, tying the game at 20-20.
After the game, Rodgers said it should not have been penalized.
“It seemed a little ridiculous,” Rodgers said. “Some of them seemed really bad, including the roughing passer on me. That’s not roughing the passer.”
Other Penalties Spark Controversy
Several other calls drew strong pushback, including a personal foul on Bills tackle Spencer Brown on the next drive after Epenesa’s controversial flag. On the play, Brown blocked Jets defensive end Will McDonald, throwing him to the ground and continuing the block, but he was flagged for unnecessary roughness.
The Jets had also been flagged for pass interference on the play, which would have given the Bills good field position in a tied game. The offsetting penalties instead negated the play, and the Bills would end up punting after an incomplete pass to tight end Dalton Kincaid.
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Several NFL figures spoke out against the calls. Former Bills head coach Wade Phillips said the officials should face their own punishment for the performance.
“Jets-Bills I think they should penalize the officials for this game,” Phillips wrote in a post on X.
Others noted that the steady stream of flags made the game unwatchable.
“Regardless of rooting interest the officiating in this game has been brutal,” wrote Christopher Parker of WGR 550 in Buffalo in a post on X.
Some of the complaining went both ways. Former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman also took aim at some of the penalties against the Jets secondary, saying officials were throwing flags on the Jets for contact they weren’t calling on Bills defensive backs.
“These refs are bias tonight. I don’t use that lightly but it’s apparent,” Sherman wrote in a post on X. “These aren’t my teams but these calls don’t make sense. I see similar contact from buffalo DBs and nothing being called.”
Despite the questionable calls, the Bills were able to escape with a key victory that ended the team’s two-game losing streak. The Bills moved to 4-2, taking a two-game lead in the AFC East.
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