Defensive players in the NFL are going to have to change their tactics if calls like the ones on Grady Jarrett on Sunday and Chris Jones on Monday Night Football are going to continue.
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Jarrett, of the Atlanta Falcons, was flagged for roughing the passer on Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Tom Brady before Jones, of the Kansas City Chiefs, got the same penalty for a hit on Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr.
The Chiefs had just scored to trim their deficit to 17-7 when Jones stripped Carr from behind. The Pro Bowl defensive tackle landed on the Raiders quarterback while also coming away with the ball — replays showed it was clearly loose and that Jones clearly recovered and referee Carl Cheffers threw a flag for roughing the passer.
In recent years the NFL has become a lot more protective of quarterbacks. Now, coming off the heels of seeing Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffer serious head injuries in back-to-back weeks, the NFL has ramped up its protection and people are not happy with questionable calls penalizing the defence for seemingly legal football plays.
Here’s a sampling of the reaction on social media:
— With files from AP.
