Despite much critical acclaim from Pittsburgh, the NFL made the right call moving the Steelers vs Ravens game, repeatedly.
Canceling such a contest was never under consideration, and rightly so. To secure the AFC North crown, Pittsburgh must go through the Ravens, twice, and then play what now amounts to a grand total of three games in 12-13 days. Yikes!
While it’s typically none of the business of this specific column to comment on such things, an NFL ‘decision’ is under my jurisdiction. It’s fair to say the Ravens misjudged and mishandled COVID-19 protocol, and will be punished as such. It’s also fair to acknowledge that the only reason the NFL is forcing this season to happen at all is purely financial motivation. Forfeiting such a game and merely handing a result to either team gets in the way of that goal, and puts the players in an awkward position. Would they even get paid?
As for the actual officiating in Week 12, there were typical blunders. Bad, inexplicable decisions that have become all too common in a season as flawed as this one.
Honorable mention: Roughing the passer is forever up to interpretation. I’ve discussed this on multiple occasions, but making any sort of contact with the helmet area of the quarterback while bull rushing isn’t allowed per NFL rules. It makes for some hilarious roughing the passer penalties (assuming you aren’t rooting for the team that received said flag). In the Buccaneers-Chiefs game, both Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady received star treatment.
The flag on Jason Pierre-Paul started it all, only for Brady to receive two ticky-tacky personal fouls in his favor on the Bucs very next offensive drive. Technically the officials were right, but expect the rules committee to make an omission in the offseason.
3. Blindside block brings back Patriots touchdown
Anfernee Jennings was merely trying to make a block for his teammate. On what should’ve been a Patriots special teams touchdown, Jennings hit a trailing Cardinals defender square in the chest while facing him. How is this a blindside block?
Trick question, it’s not. Had Jennings been coming from the side or back of the chasing offensive player, making it an illegal block in the back, then the official would’ve been right to call back the play. But because Jennings merely impeded the attempted tackler from the front, and did not make contact with the head or neck area, it should’ve been perfectly legal.
While the Patriots were able to win the game by three points, such a victory was surely made tougher but incompetence.