By popular demand, we’re again going to have a post after each game that breaks down some of the controversial decisions from the officiating crew in the game.
Penalty Count
Falcons 1-27 (leading to one Jets first down)
Jets 9-59 (leading to two Falcons first downs)
Note: This does not include penalties that are declined or off-set.
Plays where the call was obvious, uncontroversial or not visible on broadcast footage
Jets Penalties
- John Simpson illegal man downfield. Timing was off as he was three yards downfield when a screen pass was released.
- Jowon Briggs encroachment. Jumped early.
- John Metchie III offensive holding. Hauled his man down to the ground with his arm clearly wrapped outside.
- Defensive pass interference on Azareye’h Thomas in the end zone. Looked like he was in position to make a play on the ball but panicked and collided with and grabbed the receiver.
- Unsportsmanlike conduct on Marcelino McCrary-Ball. Wriggled around on the ground like a fish while celebrating, making contact with an opposing player. Dumb penalty.
- False start on Armand Membou, who dropped into his stance a half-beat early.
- Another false start on Membou, identical to the other one.
- False start on Olu Fashanu. Josh Myers didn’t snap the ball and it was announced as “everyone but the center”. The official gamebook pinned it on Fashanu.
Falcons Penalties
- AJ Terrell pass interference on Adonai Mitchell. Never got his head turned and Mitchell got the step and worked back to the ball early to draw the obvious flag.
Penalties warranting further discussion or explanation
Jets Penalties
- Roughing the passer on McCrary-Ball. Definite helmet-to-helmet contact here so the call cannot be disputed. However, Kirk Cousins was moving forwards and ducked his head as McCrary-Ball came in pretty low, so he was a little unlucky.
- Illegal contact on Isaiah Oliver. Away from the ball and they got the first down anyway but Oliver’s contact on the receiver was barely anything.
Falcons Penalties
- Charlie Woerner tripping penalty. Not sure about this one. Just looked like a conventional cut block that the defender (Khalen Saunders, tried to avoid and fell over him). Offset by McCrary-Ball’s unsportsmanlike penalty anyway.
Notable no-calls etc
Here were some of the other notable missed calls, replay situations and controversial moments:
- Terrell could easily have been flagged for a late hit on a play where Tyrod Taylor went into a slide.
- Mitchell dragged his feet expertly on one sideline catch.
- Brandon Stephens had an excellent play in coverage where he got his head turned and kept contact to a minimum on Dylan Drummond to avoid a flag.
- Breece Hall had an excellent catch on the sideline where he got both toes down inbounds and caught the ball cleanly.
- Mitchell was marked short of a first down on a play where he clearly caught the ball half a yard past the marker, but this was corrected from upstairs.
- The replay booth overturned a play where Hall was initially marked short of the marker. The ball was short as he was marked down but he reached ahead with it right before going down, so forward progress meant that he had it.
- The officials were correct not to flag Quincy Williams for slamming Robinson into the ground on the play where McCrary-Ball’s celebration was flagged. That looked more violent than it actually was because McCrary-Ball himself was spiked head first into the turf.
- Williams fell down in coverage on a pass to the flat and it looked like this might have been caused by a lineman holding him.
- Metchie was marked short of a first down when it looked like he had it but he did step on the sideline right before the marker.
- Will McDonald had Cousins wrapped up but it was reasonable that they didn’t blow this dead as Cousins was able to get an incomplete throw off. Additionally, Briggs came in late and hit him up high, which could in theory have been flagged.
- Mitchell was definitely interfered with by Dee Alford in the last minute. Alford’s grab on his shoulder clearly impeded his ability to make a play on the ball.
- Finally, Mitchell did scoop the ball up before it hit the turf on his late catch that initially looked like it bounced to him. He was short of the first down though, so that was a mistake, not that it mattered much.
Let us know what we missed – or misinterpreted – in the comments…