The Tennessee Titans are set to face the Carolina Panthers on Sunday in a game that could have major implications for next year’s draft.
A loss on Sunday would put the Titans within one game of the first overall pick, while a win would realistically end any lingering hopes for that possibility.
Ron Torbert and his staff will be in charge of keeping Sunday’s game under control. This will be Torbert’s second time officiating a Titans game this season, with the first occurring back in Week 1 against the Saints.
As you might recall, that game had some questionable officiating, and most notably when it came to a potential defensive touchdown for the Titans that was ultimately negated because the officials felt Saints quarterback Derek Carr’s arm was going forward.
What should’ve been a clear fumble returned for a touchdown was ruled an incomplete pass, subsequently taking points off the board for the Titans while adding three points to the Saints after they successfully kicked a field goal.
To make matters worse, officials prematurely blew the play dead, so even if they made the right call, the touchdown would’ve been wiped off the board regardless.
Aside from that day, Torbert’s staff has been one of the strictest crews this year.
According to the NFLPenalties.com, Torbert and Co. rank inside the top six when it comes to the number of flags thrown (153, fifth-highest), penalties accepted (131, fourth-highest) and penalty yardage (1,043, sixth-highest).
Listed below is each penalty that Torbert and his staff have called through the first nine weeks, how frequently they’ve called them, and which teams they’ve favored the most.
All other penalties not listed either haven’t been called, were declined or were negated by offsetting penalties.
Home team penalties
- 62 penalties called against the home team
- 514 penalty yards against the home team
Road team penalties
- 69 penalties called against the road team
- 529 penalty yards against the road team
False start
- Number of times called: 36
- Yards off false starts: 175
- False start penalties called on home team: 14
- False start penalties called on road team: 22
- Average of 3.60 false start penalties called per game
Offensive holding
- Number of times called: 29
- Yards off offensive holding: 286
- Offensive holding penalties called on home team: 13
- Offensive holding penalties called on road team: 16
- Average of 2.90 offensive holding penalties called per game
Defensive holding
- Number of times called: Nine
- Yards off defensive holding: 46
- Defensive holding penalties called on home team: Three
- Defensive holding penalties called on road team: Six
- Average of 0.90 defensive holding penalties called per game
Defensive pass interference (DPI)
- Number of times called: Nine
- Yards off DPI: 94
- DPI penalties called on home team: Seven
- DPI penalties called on road team: Two
- Average of 0.90 DPI penalties called per game
Face mask
- Number of times called: Eight
- Yards off face mask: 120
- Face mask penalties called on home team: Four
- Number of face mask penalties called on road team: Four
- Average of 0.80 face mask penalties called per game
Roughing the passer
- Number of times called: Five
- Yards off roughing the passer: 61
- Roughing the passer penalties called on home team: Two
- Roughing the passer penalties called on road team: Three
- Average of 0.50 roughing the passer penalties called per game
Unnecessary roughness
- Number of times called: Five
- Yards off unnecessary roughness: 54
- Unnecessary roughness penalties called on home team: Two
- Unnecessary roughness penalties called on road team: Three
- Average of 0.50 unnecessary roughness penalties called per game
Illegal formation
- Number of times called: Four
- Yards off illegal formation: 19
- Illegal formation penalties called on home team: Three
- Illegal formation penalties called on road team: One
- Average of 0.40 illegal formation penalties called per game
Offsides/neutral zone infraction
- Number of times called: Seven
- Yards off neutral zone infraction/offsides: 27
- Neutral zone infraction/offsides penalties called on home team: Six
- Neutral zone infraction/offsides penalties called on road team: One
- Average of 0.70 neutral zone infraction/offside penalties called per game
Illegal contact
- Number of times called: Three
- Yards off Illegal contact: 15
- Illegal contact penalties called on home team: One
- Illegal contact penalties called on road team: Two
- Average of 0.30 Illegal contact penalties called per game
Intentional grounding
- Number of times called: Three
- Yards off intentional grounding: 38
- Intentional grounding penalties called on home team: One
- Intentional grounding penalties called on road team: Two
- Average of 0.30 intentional grounding penalties called per game
Taunting
- Number of times called: Two
- Yards off Taunting: 30
- Taunting penalties called on home team: Two
- Taunting penalties called on road team: Zero
- Average of 0.20 Taunting penalties called per game
Illegal blindside block
- Number of times called: One
- Yards off illegal blindside/peelback block: 15
- Illegal blindside/peelback block penalties called on home team: One
- Illegal blindside/peelback block penalties called on road team: Zero
- Average of 0.10 illegal blindside/peelback block penalties called per game
Illegal shift
- Number of times called: One
- Yards off illegal shift: Five
- Illegal shift penalties called on home team: Zero
- Illegal shift penalties called on road team: One
- Average of 0.10 illegal shift penalties called per game
Illegal substitution
- Number of times called: One
- Yards off illegal substitution: Five
- Illegal substitution penalties called on home team: One
- Illegal substitution penalties called on road team: Zero
- Average of 0.10 illegal substitution penalties called per game
Illegal use of hands
- Number of times called: One
- Yards off illegal use of hands: Five
- Illegal use of hands penalties called on home team: Zero
- Illegal use of hands penalties called on road team: One
- Average of 0.10 illegal use of hands penalties called per game
Delay of game
- Number of times called: One
- Yards off delay of game: Five
- Delay of game penalties called on home team: Zero
- Delay of game penalties called on road team: One
- Average of 0.10 delay of game penalties called per game
Lowering the head to make forcible contact
- Number of times called: One
- Yards off Lowering the head: 15
- Lowering the head penalties called on home team: One
- Lowering the head penalties called on road team: Zero
- Average of 0.10 Lowering the head penalties called per game
Ineligible downfield pass
- Number of times called: One
- Yards off ineligible downfield pass: Five
- Ineligible downfield pass penalties called on home team: Zero
- Ineligible downfield pass penalties called on road team: One
- Average of 0.10 ineligible downfield pass penalties called per game
Offensive pass interference (OPI)
- Number of times called: One
- Yards off OPI: 10
- OPI penalties called on home team: Zero
- OPI penalties called on road team: One
- Average of 0.10 OPI penalties called per game
