There’s no question that the putrid state of officiating is one of the top stories of the 2023 NFL season, and here we go again. On Sunday, virtually at the same time, the Minnesota Vikings and the Carolina Panthers were waylaid by roughing the passer calls that did not stand up to close inspection.
The penalty against the Vikings came with 9:17 left in the first half. Defensive lineman Patrick Jones II barely touched Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, but Land Clark objected nonetheless. That turned second-and-26 into first-and-10, and game the Lions 15 extra yards.
The penalty against the Panthers happened with 8:44 left in the first half, when edge-rusher Yetur Gross-Matos was apparently a bit too rough with Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love. Again, you’d love to see any evidence of actual roughing the passer here. That turned third-and-1 into first-and-10, and gave the Packers 15 bonus yards. Bravo, referee Alex Kemp.
You can see both “penalties” right here.
Simultaneous awful roughing the passer calls… what happened to the game I love #DETvsMIN #GBvsCAR pic.twitter.com/yz3zlRf5gl
— Tony Clements (@TonyCMKE) December 24, 2023
