Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was strip-sacked during his side’s 29-30 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs at the Arrowhead Stadium on Monday. The hosts were trailing 17-3 and the move could have been a game-changing turnover. However, the referee enforced the roughing of the passer penalty instead.
The Raiders had a 3rd-and-8 at their 46 with just over a minute left in the first half when Chris Jones strip-sacked their quarterback Derek Carr and recovered. After the referees penalised the former, thousands in the stadium were left furious. They booed Las Vegas and the match officials.
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“THIS. tired of trash refs making trash calls with no repercussions. That roughing the passer tonight was horrendous,” a Twitter user said.
“You know it’s getting out of hand when offensive players are talking about roughing the passer. Couldn’t agree more,” another one added.
Some also said that these penalties, for protecting quarterbacks, are limiting a defender’s role in the game.
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Chris Jones, in a postgame chat, said that “if we’re going to call roughing the passer at such a high velocity, you’ve got to be able to review them in the booth”
On Sunday, it was Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, NFL GOAT, Tom Brady who benefitted from a roughing the passer call. Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett tackled him in the fourth quarter and was penalised.
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Fans and several experts said that Jarrett did not do anything wrong.
“I don’t throw the flags,” Brady told reporters when asked about the penalty.
What is the roughing the passer penalty?
As per NFL, roughing the passer is a penalty that occurs when a defensive player makes illegal contact with the quarterback after he has thrown a forward pass.
“Defenders may make contact with a player attempting a forward pass while still in possession of the ball (e.g., a quarterback sack); however, once the ball is released, defenders may not make contact with the quarterback unless carried by momentum,” the NFL says.
Now, with defenders being penalised way too often, experts and fans have started questioning the rule.
“If a defender falls on the QB it cannot be a definitive Roughing the passer that’s bs- what is he supposed to do? Stand there and ask him to go down???” a social media user asked.
