There are no moral victories in the NFL, but the Falcons looked like they were about to overcome a 21-point deficit against the Buccaneers on Sunday when Grady Jarrett sacked Tom Brady on third down late in the fourth quarter.
Jarrett’s sack appeared to be clean, but he was called for a roughing-the-passer penalty that essentially ended the game for Atlanta. Tampa Bay would go on to run the clock out for a 21-15 win.
After the game, fans and analysts went to Twitter to call out the officials for Sunday’s bogus penalty.
This may be the WORST roughing the passer penalty I’ve ever seen. Embarrassingly bad call. The Falcons got screwed.
(🎥: @TrainIsland)pic.twitter.com/KdvC0mi2KJ
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 9, 2022
Jerome Boger the referee in the Bucs gm. Just made the worst call of this early NFL season. NFL will need to offer an explanation on this BULLJIVE call. That was a text book sack and it was penalized. Falcons got hosed
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) October 9, 2022
Referee Jerome Boger told pool reporter @gregauman that the roughing the passer penalty on #Falcons DT Grady Jarrett was for “unnecessarily throwing (Tom Brady) to the ground.” pic.twitter.com/rqxyNzjd6I
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 9, 2022
This wouldn’t’ve happened if Tom Brady loved his family. https://t.co/NxeWai5Feg
— Alex Root (@Mister_Root) October 9, 2022
The worst thing about this is, the #NFL will send a notice to the #Falcons this week stating it was an incorrect call! Like the letter fixes everything because it's sent fed ex! #SMH https://t.co/iA7TgsLdGR
— Nate Washington (@nwash85) October 9, 2022
This is what happens when you have dentists and accountants moonlighting as NFL referees.
The NFL is a multi-billion dollar industry and doesn’t employ full-time referees.
Miss me with that “integrity of the game” BS. https://t.co/jjVFHq78zZ
— Start Ridder, Free Pitts (@RiseUpReader) October 9, 2022
If you really think Tom Brady just "wins" you're part of the problem. #NFL https://t.co/yfSl8kH6Ig
— Steve Williams (@steveywilliams) October 9, 2022
The Falcons got ROBBED. Hitting the QB hard does not equal Roughing the Passer even if it’s Tom Brady.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) October 9, 2022
The roughing call they just gave to Brady might be the most embarrassingly bad NFL call in five years. And there is zero chance they call it for any other quarterback. #Falcons
— Mike Greenberg (@Espngreeny) October 9, 2022
How dare you play football near Tom Brady!!! https://t.co/6NP2UgUIxi
— Antonio MacBeath (@TonyMacUMP) October 9, 2022
This was roughing?! https://t.co/Ze3vXYvECn pic.twitter.com/vcXKuDE6ZJ
— Damon Darell Dukes (@CoachDDukes87) October 9, 2022
THEY CALLED THIS ROUGHING THE PASSER???? https://t.co/IQ11S6Reqa
— 𝙍𝙖𝙝𝙪𝙡 𝙏𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙨 𝘼𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙪𝙛𝙛 🇺🇦 (@rahul_stuff) October 9, 2022
Someone explain how this is roughing the passer what an absolute joke
Falcons were ROBBED https://t.co/l5l1P9WjCL
— colin ogilvie (@_C__Money) October 9, 2022
Tom Brady got the benefit of a dubious call, you say? 🤔 https://t.co/TACxNiKazI
— Randy Scott (@RandyScottESPN) October 9, 2022
Y’all sacking Tom Brady is “roughing the passer” hell any hit on Tom Brady in front of any of his referee fanboys is “roughing the passer” smh 🤦🏾♂️ @NFL this is why people are saying games are “fixed” do better! https://t.co/ZRdqTQcbhu
— KiNG O$iRi$ (@ikingosiris) October 9, 2022
Falcons got absolutely screwed.
That ref stole the game from my teammates and there’s gotta be some kind of accountability.
— Will Compton (@_willcompton) October 9, 2022
We also gotta talk about Brady trying to kick Grady when he was getting up https://t.co/gi9iHEAuG5
— CaptaiN StupidO (@HalfOfABurrito) October 9, 2022
This is absolutely the worst roughing the passer call I’ve seen in a long long time. Absolute joke to screw over the Falcons like this just to baby Brady. These refs should be suspended pic.twitter.com/PZsolvLAw4
— CFBBlueprint (@CFBBluePrint) October 9, 2022
This call, which the @NFL apparently somehow thinks is correct, is horrendous on 2 levels…
1) The tackle was fine & not dangerous
2) If this is really the “new normal” then QBs can turn almost any sack into a penalty by twisting themselves into the ground!#TheDeathOfFootball https://t.co/8v1t1SW1D2
— John Ziegler (@Zigmanfreud) October 9, 2022
Refs always helping Brady at the right time 😒 https://t.co/PVCcH5VnqY
— Karla D 💚💛🧀 (@kar052584) October 9, 2022
The Falcons defense was off the field twice on this drive and the refs took it away. You think the league wants Brady and Tampa to still matter?!?!
— Matt Chernoff (@RealMattlanta) October 9, 2022
The Falcons are getting absolutely JOBBED right now.
Inexcusable officiating on this drive. Just dreadful.
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) October 9, 2022
This is one of many problems I have with The @NFL They treat each QB differently & All The Players/Fans know it. If you want to argue this point compare this hit to the one that hurt @Tua & get back to me. @clintwiliams4 https://t.co/S2TEfcexCu
— Brett Tierce (@brett_tierce) October 9, 2022
Refs just cheated the Falcons. One of the worst penalties of the season
— warriorsworld (@warriorsworld) October 9, 2022
Atlanta Falcons lose 21-15 to Tampa Bay. Grady Jarrett was as angry as I've ever seen him, or any other human being, coming off the field. Jarrett tipped over a waist high water cooler and screamed a curse word. Multiple times.
Falcons fall to 2-3.— Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) October 9, 2022
Just a terrible call in the Bucs-Falcons game.
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) October 9, 2022
Falcons fans have good reason to be livid at about roughing the passer penalty.
— nick wright (@getnickwright) October 9, 2022
So yeah, that's a brutal roughing the passer penalty against the Falcons
— Steve Palazzolo (@PFF_Steve) October 9, 2022
And thats what I live about MY team. No quit 4th QT FIGHT ‼️ https://t.co/z1W2l02AzA
— 𝑮𝑻 🥶 (@1g_whiz) October 9, 2022
Mariota took a sack in the exact same way that Brady did which cost the falcons the game. And no flag was thrown or even thought off. pic.twitter.com/Dn74gQ03LN
— ATL Will (@ATLWill_) October 9, 2022
"We got a great group of guys. We have found ways to make it close and have a chance to win." – Marcus Mariota pic.twitter.com/9J5cqlXvaB
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) October 9, 2022
"I'm proud of our guys. We don't ever think we're out of the fight." -Arthur Smith pic.twitter.com/9dJ4Nl0Qmf
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) October 9, 2022
6. Smith still doesn’t know how to manage a game going for 2pt conversion.
— Mr Gray (@uup116) October 9, 2022
