The NFL has clearly shifted its rules to attempt to keep star quarterbacks as healthy as possible, increasingly becoming strict while enforcing roughing-the-passer calls. However, fans took exception to one roughing call in particular on Sunday night that most thought they got wrong.
The New York Giants completely bottled up the Buffalo Bills offense for much of the first half. Through 25 minutes of play, the Giants held a 6-0 lead.
New York had the Bills backed up to their own 10-yard line with 5:03 remaining in the second quarter. It looked like they would force another punt on this Bills possession. That was until Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke was called for a very questionable roughing-the-passer call on Bills star Josh Allen.
It looked like Okereke was trying to swat the ball as Allen threw it. His momentum then sent Allen backward as he was throwing. Nothing in that play remotely looked like it warranted a roughing call, which NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay stated on the SNF broadcast.
“And Cris (Collinsworth), I’m gonna tell you it’s not a foul,” said McAulay. “It’s not late. It’s not to the head and neck area. This is a legal hit on the quarterback throwing on the run.”
Fans largely agreed that the refs got this one wrong and blasted them on social media.
Unless you are a Bills fan, you hate to see that call as it ultimately penalizes textbook defense like Okereke had here on this play.
Luckily for the Giants, this bad call didn’t cost them anything. Okereke would come up with another excellent play later on in the drive, tipping a Josh Allen pass which allowed fellow Giants linebacker Micah McFadden to come up with a drive-ending interception.
[Awful Announcing, Photo Credit: NBC]
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.