I try to avoid bitching about the refs when my team gets beat. There are always other reasons for a loss. And who wants to dine on sour grapes anyway?
Sunday, the Eagles beat Atlanta, 24-15. So, in sweet victory, please allow me a little room to comment on the state of NFL officiating.
It stinks.
Need more? The men in striped shirts are overmatched, overeager, inept and inconsistent. They have taken the best game on earth and slowed it to a crawl with endless flags and reviews. One moment, they flag the pettiest of infractions. The next play, they ignore the most obvious.
You can argue NFL ratings are down because of the election or anthem protests or the growth of Netlix or whatever extraneous force you choose to cite. I’ll say the biggest factor is that officials have insinuated themselves into the game to the point that a fan can’t watch any single play without having one eye focused on whether a yellow flag was thrown. It’s just no fun anymore.
Sunday’s Eagles game was not dominated by penalties, unless you want to count Zach Ertz jumping the snap every other play. Overall, there were 154 yards in penalties, modest by today’s NFL standards.
But it was a noncall by the refs that shows their incompetence. With the Eagles down, 15-13 in the fourth quarter, QB Carson Wentz threw one in traffic to WR Jordan Matthews. As Matthews tried to pull the ball to his chest, Atlanta safety Keanu Neal launched — helmet first — at Matthews’ face.
Matthews was obliterated. He dropped the ball (give him some slack on this one) and crumpled to the ground. He eventually rose with a cracked face mask, bloody lip and expectation that a flag would be thrown.
It wasn’t.
Two years ago, the NFL added rules to protect its players. Helmet-to-helmet hits were outlawed. Assaulting a “defenseless receiver” became grounds for a 15-yard penalty.
Either of those would have applied to the hit on Matthews Sunday. Neither was called. At the moment, coach Doug Pederson hollered at the refs — as did some of the Eagles medical staff. After the game, Pederson became more circumspect, not wanting to draw a fine and the ire of hypersensitive Commissioner Roger Goodell. Pederson will, no doubt, send tape of the episode to the league, but who thinks that will accomplish anything?
Matthews was less mealy-mouthed, saying of the refs: “I don’t know if they were watching the game or if they were thinking about going to Chickie’s [and Pete’s] later.”
Don’t misunderstand me. I don’t think the NFL has it out for the Eagles. Last week’s Buffalo-Seattle game was ruined by inane officiating. Every team in the league likely has a good case against the zebras.
The Eagles won this game, and may have even benefitted from a makeup call shortly after the missed penalty on Matthews. But the larger picture is this: Our favorite game is threatened by the guys who stand on the field not even playing it.
Macnow’s musings:
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