If you’ve followed the NFL for any length of time, you’ve no doubt heard it referred to as the No Fun League at some point. And in case you were wondering why the NFL sometimes gets that unflattering designation, something that happened in the first quarter of Sunday night’s game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals should clear up any mystery.
Facing a first-and-goal from the two-yard line, Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen took a snap, faked a handoff and then moved to his right. Cincinnati safety Nick Scott read the play well, essentially mirroring Allen. The quarterback got the last laugh, though. He got Scott to leave his feet on a pump fake, which opened the lane up for Allen, who went in for a two-yard touchdown run.
On his way into the end zone, he pointed at Scott. That was more than the officials were willing to tolerate. The touchdown was allowed but Allen was penalized for taunting.
And while the game’s announcers seemed to understand why Allen was penalized, fans watching the game were less than enthused.
incredibly silly league that this is a taunting flag pic.twitter.com/H3TNnwcAiB
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) November 6, 2023
This might not feel quite so frustrating if the penalty wasn’t 15 yards. That feels way off-kilter, especially when considering that potentially dangerous personal fouls carry the same penalty. It also leaves too much of the game up to the referee’s judgment, which is not something fans want to see.
[TSN, Photo Credit: NBC]