Saturday night’s wild-card playoff game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Jacksonville Jaguars did not begin as anybody expected. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw interceptions on each of Jacksonville’s two drives, and the Chargers scored 10 points on those two picks.
Lawrence’s first interception was entirely legitimate – defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day deflected Lawrence’s pass, and linebacker Drue Tranquill picked off the ball from the air.
Not the best start @JaguarsUK pic.twitter.com/UgAUlAa1wj
— The Irish NFL Show (@IreNFL) January 15, 2023
However, the officiating crew, led by referee Shawn Smith, missed an obvious penalty on Lawrence’s second interception — which, if called, would have negated the pick. Receiver Zay Jones was Lawrence’s target, and Smith’s crew missed what was an obvious hold by cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. on Jones. Samuel is a good player, but it’s easier to pick off a pass when you’ve got your receiver in a passionate embrace.
refs miss the illegal contact by Asante Samuel on Zay Jones pic.twitter.com/7e3N8Ir4AU
— Ted Buddwell 🏀🏈 (@TedBuddy8) January 15, 2023
Coming into the playoffs, several NFL coaches and executives had expressed concern about the state of officiating in the league. Based on that horrible no-call, we’d have to say that things are not going to work themselves out on the field
