After Further Review: Jets-Bills

by Site Admin

By popular demand, we're again going to have a post after each game that breaks down some of the controversial decisions from the officiating crew in the game.

Penalty Count

Bills 11-94 (leading to three Jets first downs)

Jets 11-110 (leading to four Bills first down)

Note: This does not include penalties that are declined or off-set.

Plays where the call was obvious, uncontroversial or not visible on broadcast footage

Jets Penalties

  • Illegal formation. The official called out Jeremy Ruckert but the issue here was that Allen Lazard should have been off the line of scrimmage. This was the first penalty on the Jets, right at the end of the first quarter. Once again that pattern from a few weeks ago of almost being penalty free for a full quarter and then seeing a bunch of calls for absolutely everything thereafter.
  • Quincy Williams pass interference on Dawson Knox. Arm around his waist for an obvious call.
  • Morgan Moses false start. Went early.
  • Leki Fotu 12 men on the field. Did not get off. Also exited on the Bills' side of the line of scrimmage so strictly speaking he was also offside.
  • Tony Adams pass interference on the same play. Contact downfield and then a slight grab.
  • Delay of game.
  • Moses offensive holding. Maintained his grip on the shoulder as Rodgers escaped the pocket.
  • Joe Tippmann offensive holding. Handful of jersey to prevent his man stopping Breece Hall on a short pass.

Bills Penalties

  • Illegal formation penalty to negate a touchdown. The official called out Spencer Brown here but it was Mack Hollins who was at fault for not being on the line. They scored anyway a few plays later.
  • Christian Benford pass interference on Garrett Wilson. Slapped down on Wilson's arms just before the ball arrived so a clear penalty, albeit that it was offset against a Jets penalty and didn't count.
  • Holding on Kaiir Elam on a punt. Brandin Echols got the step on him and he grabbed him from behind.
  • Alec Anderson false start. Flinched.
  • Knox offensive pass interference. Clear push-off on Tony Adams.
  • Hollins false start. Flinched.
  • Brown unnecessary roughness to negate a pass interference penalty. Unnecessarily hit Will McDonald who was down on the ground at the end of a play.
  • Brown false start. Flinched.
  • Benford pass interference on Wilson again. Grabbed the back of his shoulder.
  • Illegal formation. This time it was Anderson at tight end who should have been on the line of scrimmage.
  • Dion Dawkins unsportsmanlike conduct. [rolls eyes]
  • Rasul Douglas defensive holding offset. Grabbed Mike Williams on the shoulder.

Penalties warranting further discussion or explanation

Jets Penalties

  • Illegal contact on Isaiah Oliver. This looked like a collision with Dalton Kincaid initiating the contact.
  • Pass interference on DJ Reed. Did grab the receiver's arm but was this uncatchable?
  • Reed downfield pass interference again. Got his head turned in time but late and then collided with the receiver before the ball arrived.
  • Tyron Smith hold to negate Braelon Allen's go-ahead touchdown. Unnecessary because Allen likely scores anyway. Maintained his grip as the defensive player tried to get in on the tackle.
  • Alijah Vera-Tucker holding. This one looked soft. Vera-Tucker had his man controlled and was changing his hand position to maintain the block but didn't seem to prevent the tackler from moving laterally with his hands outside.
  • Javon Kinlaw roughing the passer penalty. The experts on TV said this was soft. Kinlaw took the quarterback to the floor after the ball was gone and didn't seem to have done so forcibly or late but perhaps the officials felt he could have made more of an effort to hold him up?
  • Kinlaw neutral zone infraction on a field goal. Flinched but wasn't definitely in the neutral zone when the offensive lineman moved. Fotu and Micheal Clemons then also moved, after the offensive lineman, and Fotu was in the neutral zone when touched by the offensive lineman. If Kinlaw wasn't in the neutral zone when that lineman moved (either because he never was or got back), the penalty should be on the offense, but this was tough to see.
  • Kinlaw unsportsmanlike conduct. He said something to the official.

Bills Penalties

  • AJ Epenesa roughing the passer. This seemed harsh as he was likely just trying to rip the ball on the way down and didn't land heavily on top of Aaron Rodgers.
  • Taron Johnson illegal low block on Jeremy Ruckert. You can't hit a non-ball carrier below the knee if outside the "tight end box". 15 yards added to the end of the run.

Notable no-calls etc

Here were some of the other notable missed calls, replay situations and controversial moments:

  • Dawkins and Clemons plus Brown and McDonald had a few scuffles and there easily could have been more flags there.
  • Ray Davis had a juggling catch that stood up because the ball never hit the ground.
  • The illegal man downfield flag that was picked up was done so correctly. Allen got that ball out quickly while his man was still within a yard of the line of scrimmage.
  • The Lazard touchdown was definitely the correct call, despite one official blowing it. Lazard controlled it on the ground before it was ripped out.
  • Rodgers was lucky to have what looked like a fumble confirmed as an incomplete pass but if the arm is coming forwards and the hit affects the direction of the ball, apparently that can still count as a forward pass. Almost as if Rodgers "threw" it but then his OWN HAND deflected it backwards. If that's the rule, then the incomplete call was correct.
  • The officials missed an important penalty on the last drive. Taylor Rapp had a helmet to helmet hit on the incompletion down the middle to Ruckert.

Let us know what we missed - or misinterpreted - in the comments...