After Further Review: Jets-Broncos

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

Broncos 5-74 (leading to two Jets first downs)

Jets 13-90 (leading to one Broncos 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

  • John Simpson false start with the Jets at their own goal line. This wasn't visible from the TV footage.
  • Breece Hall false start on the next play. Flinched.
  • Tyron Smith false start. Went early.
  • Irv Charles fair catch interference as he lit up the return man. Presumably didn't see the signal.
  • Allen Lazard holding. Probably unnecessary, as he reached across the edge defender while trying to seal him inside on a down block.
  • Simpson false started again from the Broncos' goal line on 4th-and-goal. Went early.
  • Lazard illegal motion. Moved forward at the end of his motion but did not get set.
  • Will McDonald lined up in the neutral zone. His hand was level with the ball. He actually has done this several times this season and got away with it until yesterday.
  • Another Hall false start on a flinch.
  • Deuce Carter pass interference. Contact both at the top of the route and catch-point. Looked marginal.
  • McDonald lined up in the neutral zone again.

Broncos Penalties

  • Offensive pass interference on Troy Franklin. Blocking downfield on a screen pass before the throw was even released.
  • Ben Powers illegal man downfield. Was two yards downfield although only because he kind of overbalanced after whiffing on a block. He did not proceed up the field.
  • Alex Palczewski holding on Micheal Clemons. Held on as they were locked together and then the run was bounced outside.
  • Pass interference by Riley Moss on Lazard in the end zone. Had a hold of him with the ball in the air.
  • Moss again with obvious early contact on Mike Williams on a jump ball.

Penalties warranting further discussion or explanation

Jets Penalties

  • Smith holding as he grabbed a run blitzer with the Jets running the ball from their own one-yard line. Had this happened in the end zone it would have been a safety and it was close. It looked like he grabbed him just before the goal line and continued to grab him as he was in the end zone. Unlike the rule in soccer, where if the penalty starts outside but continues into the penalty area a penalty kick should be awarded, the key where is where the offense initially takes place.
  • Qwan'tez Stiggers holding against the gunner on a punt return. This looked a little soft as the gunner just seemed to be hand fighting to get off a conventional block. This was initially announced as on number 36, which would have been Chuck Clark (who was not on the field) but the gamebook corrected it.
  • Olu Fashanu illegal man downfield. You have to have sympathy with Fashanu here. This was either an RPO or literally a called running play where Aaron Rodgers and Tyler Conklin saw the opportunity to pull the ball out and make a quick throw for some easy yardage. But Fashanu had nobody ahead of him so he was three yards downfield trying to find someone at the second level. That possibility is perhaps something Fashanu isn't used to yet as you need to hold for a beat before getting out of the blocks.
  • Lazard unsportsmanlike conduct. He span the ball after making a first down catch, which has sometimes been known to give rise to a delay of game, but not unsportsmanlike conduct. So this had to have been for the little fingerpoint gesture he made after the play. The NFL has been hot on gun-based celebrations and obviously have made a point of letting players and coaches know they will flag this. But was it even that? Ridiculous call.

Broncos Penalties

  • Illegal shift on Lil'Jordan Humphrey. Despite the official announcement, this looked more like illegal motion. Maybe it was both.
  • Cody Barton neutral zone infraction. The official announced that he was lined up in the neutral zone but he wasn't - he actually blitzed and was in the neutral zone at the snap. Still a penalty though.

Notable no-calls etc

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

  • Courtland Sutton got away with a blatant push off on DJ Reed.
  • Marvin Mims went into the end zone as he downed the punt at the goal line, but was correctly ruled to have re-established himself at the one-yard line before he touched the ball.
  • Sutton thought he had a low catch just beyond the first down marker but it did touch the turf before he scooped it up.
  • Williams' top-tapping catch was overturned correctly after initially being ruled incomplete.
  • Jonathon Cooper was justified in wanting a hold on Conklin on one play, although the Broncos likely would have declined the penalty anyway.
  • Garret Bolles got away with a hold on Takk McKinley on a play where Bo Nix rolled left.
  • Fashanu needs to watch the fact that he often comes out of his stance a split second ahead of the snap.
  • Wilson's upheld catch was correct. His shin came down inbounds.
  • Rodgers looked to have lost a fumble late in the game but was ruled down.

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