The Washington Football Team was able to get back into the win column this Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons thanks to a J.D. McKissic touchdown scored with just 33 seconds left. But, Washington found themselves victims of an incredibly questionable penalty that left the NFL world confused.
Late in the third quarter, the Falcons attempted to convert a fourth-and-2. Matt Ryan was chased down by Chase Young, who inexplicably put his hands on the quarterback, and shoved Ryan without tackling him. Ryan then went down to one knee, and it was ruled as a sack. However, an official threw his yellow flag and deemed that Young was guilty of roughing the passer.
Here are a couple of different angles of the play:
If we were playing devil’s advocate, I guess one could argue that Young put his hands on Ryan’s face. But on second look, it appears Young just shoved Ryan’s shoulder pads. It even looks like Young was trying to let up so that he wouldn’t be flagged for decking the quarterback, but picked up the penalty anyway! This was an important penalty, as the Falcons were granted a first down, and they ended up scoring a touchdown that extended their lead to eight points. Thankfully, the questionable call did not end up ultimately deciding the game.
We’ll see if the NFL releases a statement regarding this penalty, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a party that claims the flag was warranted.
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