By now, just about everyone in sports media has given their take on Falcons defensive lineman Grady Jarrett’s sack on Tom Brady at the end of Sunday’s loss in Tampa Bay.
What appeared to be a third-down stop by Jarrett was called back due to a roughing the passer penalty. Most NFL analysts couldn’t believe the officials would make such a questionable call at such a critical moment in the game.
Since the public outrage, the NFL has doubled down on the penalty and deemed it the correct call.
Through Week 5, roughing the passer calls actually are down 45 percent compared to a year ago. There were 51 at this time of the season in 2021, 28 this season.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 12, 2022
While roughing the passer is being called less overall this season, the times that it has been called have been more egregious than normal. There was another questionable roughing call made on ESPN’s Monday Night Football matchup between the Raiders and the Chiefs.
Grady Jarrett noted that defenders should not be punished for doing the right thing and that bad calls ultimately hurt the players in multiple ways.
“If it’s costing people games, it’s going to cost people’s livelihoods, it’s costing people opportunity, said Jarrett.”You never know who will go down and make a crazy play. When people watch it to be entertained, they love to see some game-winning drives, and then when you do it the right way, that’s what makes it so frustrating because you did follow the rules. When you do it right, I don’t believe you should be punished for it.”
Analyst Mike Greenberg gave his own comments on the recent penalties, as you can see in the below tweet from ESPN’s Get Up.
.@Espngreeny says the NFL is "doing the exact right thing" with the roughing the passer penalties: pic.twitter.com/cUevMa3j87
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) October 12, 2022
