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Late in the first quarter of the Kansas City Chiefs Week 13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Bengals’ offense was marching down the field on their second offensive drive of the game.
On a 1st-and-10 play from Kansas City’s 47 yard line, quarterback Joe Burrow threw an incomplete pass to receiver Tee Higgins, but a flag was also thrown on the play. The flag was for roughing the passer on Chiefs defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth, who had taken Burrow to the ground just as the football left Burrow’s fingertips.
The slow-motion replay of the play showed what appeared to be a sound tackle by Stallworth, yet the officials opted to penalize the veteran defender for the way he took down Burrow.
Andy Reid Sounds Off on Penalty
Speaking to the media on Monday, December 5, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was asked about Stallworth’s roughing the passer penalty and sounded just about as confused as everybody else that saw the play.
“It’s something new and it’s all over the place, I think,” Reid told the media during his presser. “We’re getting different looks, I thought. I didn’t agree with that. Now, (referee) John’s (Hussey) a heck of an official too, but this thing we’ve got to get worked out and work through because I didn’t see that one (roughing the passer penalty).”
This isn’t the first time the defending AFC West champions have been the victims of a questionable roughing the passer penalty this season. Defensive tackle Chris Jones was called for roughing the passer against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5 on a play in which Jones appeared to have made a textbook tackle on quarterback Derek Carr in the backfield.
NFL coaches will likely make the roughing the passer penalty a point of emphasis with the league next offseason so all 32 teams can have a clearer definition of the rule.
Twitter Reacts to Stallworth’s Penalty
Twitter users reacted to Stallworth’s roughing the passer penalty in Week 13.
“I want to know why that is roughing the passer but when the Bengals drive Mahomes to the ground after he has already thrown the ball,” one Twitter user wrote. “Why was it not called roughing the passer?”
“No way that is roughing the passer. It is a follow through football play, no helmet to helmet, no piling on,” another user wrote. “Very poor reefing call and i am not even a Chiefs fan!”
“Again, a RPS foul that is hard and falls into the “landing with weight” category we’ve seen in the NFL this year. Hard to agree with this call,” another user wrote.
“How do you tackle now @NFL? Just need to quit watching the game if this is how it’s played,” another user wrote.
“At least 80-100 of this man’s weight was off the QB since his legs were DANGLING over the field and not touching Burrow at all,” another user wrote.
“I may not agree with the rule, but the rule is you can’t land on him with full body weight,” another user wrote. “Stupid rule, I am with you 100%. However, according to officiating the game according to rules, it’s a good call and the right call.”
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