Patriots
“That is a sack. What else are you imagined to do?”
The Patriots most likely acquired a little bit fortunate on their opening drive of the second half.
Dealing with a third-and-10 from the Commanders’ 38-yard line, the Patriots’ promising possession appeared prefer it was going to quantity to nothing when Mac Jones was sacked by KJ Henry for a nine-yard loss. The ball additionally got here out on the play, but it surely was unclear if Jones was really down or not because the Patriots had been knocked out of subject purpose vary on the very least.
However it didn’t matter as a result of the Patriots caught a serious break. Henry was flagged for roughing the passer on the play, giving the Patriots 15 yards and a primary right down to preserve their drive alive, permitting them to kick a subject purpose shortly later to go up, 17-10.
The decision on Henry perplexed many although. The Commanders defensive finish appeared to have good type on his sack of Jones and didn’t make any contact to the Patriots quarterback’s head or drive him into the bottom. In fact, he didn’t hit Jones late both as he didn’t throw the ball.
Jonathan Vilma, who was the colour commentator for Sunday’s sport on Fox, confirmed speedy disapproval of the decision.
“I don’t see the decision,” Vilma mentioned when watching the replay. “Mac Jones has the ball in his palms and he takes him down for a sack. I don’t get it.”
When play-by-play announcer Kenny Albert mentioned that Jones would possibly’ve been pushed to the bottom, Vilma shot down that notion.
“It will probably’t be. He had the ball in his palms,” Vilma mentioned. “What would you like [Henry] to do? That’s why he can’t perceive it both. I might perceive [the call] if Mac Jones threw the ball away after which he took him down. However he has the ball in his palms. That’s a sack. What else are you imagined to do?”
NFL on Fox guidelines analyst Dean Blandino additionally appeared confused by the decision as he tried to elucidate it.
“That is what the officers are being directed to name,” Blandino mentioned on the published. “They need the defenders to get off to the aspect. However such as you guys are saying, that is only a deal with. That is simply momentum. There’s nothing punishing. There’s no second act. I don’t actually prefer it as a foul, however that is what the league is directing the officers to name.”
The decision was universally panned by analysts and former gamers on social media. Even former Patriots security Devin McCourty expressed questioning over the penalty.
“Exhausting to play protection within the nfl however let’s go Pats,” McCourty wrote in a social media put up with two laughing emojis.
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