After Further Review: Jets-Dolphins

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

Dolphins 8-49 (leading to two Jets first downs)

Jets 10-83 (leading to four Dolphins first downs)

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

  • Javon Kinlaw unnecessary roughness. Got his hand up in an opposing lineman's facemask as they scuffled at the end of an early play.
  • DJ Reed pass interference in the end zone. Clear grab on Tyreek Hill before the ball arrived.
  • Morgan Moses offensive holding. Beaten clean around the edge and had to grab the edge rusher to prevent a likely sack.
  • Allen Lazard false start. Flinched before the snap.
  • Olu Fashanu offensive holding. Headed out to the second level but a run blitzer went right by him and he pulled him down with his arm across his neck.
  • Kenny Yeboah false start. Reacted to Joe Tippman lifting his head rather than snapping the ball.
  • Moses false start. Another flinch.
  • Kene Nwangwu holding on a kickoff return. This happened off-screen.
  • Quinnen Williams roughing the passer. Just a buddy bump, but it was a step late and avoidable. This was the only time Tua Tagovailoa was knocked down all day.

Dolphins Penalties

  • Da'Shawn Hand neutral zone infraction. Jumped into the neutral zone before the snap.
  • Chop Robinson neutral zone infraction. Fell forward into the neutral zone and tried to get back but Moses moved before he did.
  • Elijah Campbell offside on a field goal. Went across the line before the snap. This was assessed on the kickoff.
  • Alec Ingold offensive holding. Blatantly reached around Haason Reddick and practically bearhugged him.
  • Quinton Bell lined up offside. Was actually behind the line but leaned across into the neutral zone.
  • False start on "everyone but the center". The official gamebook gave this to Aaron Brewer.
  • Robert Jones offensive holding. Reached across and grabbed Solomon Thomas.

Penalties warranting further discussion or explanation

Jets Penalties

  • Chuck Clark horse collar tackle on a long run that was going to be negated by a hold anyway. He had a grip of the nameplate but seemed to let go as the ball carrier went out of bounds rather than dragging him down in a way that would give rise to such a penalty.
  • Allen Lazard illegal motion to negate his own first down catch. Actually an illegal shift as he went in motion but was going upfield rather than laterally before the snap.
  • Marcelino McCrary-Ball illegal use of the hands. This wasn't clear on the TV broadcast but Mohamed Kamara, who was also called for holding on the play lost his helmet, so presumably that happened as McCrary-Ball tried to fight off the block. In such situations, the ball is simply spotted at the point of the hold.
  • Another pass interference call on Reed. This time, he had his hands on the receiver but didn't appear to shove or impede him but the receiver either lost his balance or flopped to draw the flag.

Dolphins Penalties

  • Ramsey pass interference on Garrett Wilson. This one looked harsh as there was minimal contact.
  • Patrick Paul illegal formation. Again this seemed harsh as, although he was aligned further back than the tight end, his helmet was level with the rest of the linemen over the ball.
  • Zach Sieler defensive holding to negate a sack. Blatant grab of John Simpson's arm to stop him picking up a stunt. Well spotted by the officials but Simpson did appeal for the call immediately.
  • Kamara holding on kickoff return, but offset by McCrary-Ball's penalty as noted above.

Notable no-calls etc

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

  • Tyler Conklin was definitely down (and correctly ruled to be so) before the ball was stripped away from him after his first quarter catch.
  • Jevon Holland arguably got away with a roughing the passer call.
  • On an outside run, one Jet (but it wasn't clear which one) audibly yelled out for a holding call. Looking at the film, both Eric Watts and Quincy Williams had a case.
  • Watts, Kinlaw and Will McDonald all had instances where it looked like they lined up in the neutral zone. To his credit, McDonald now seems aware of this and was making the correction right before the snap.
  • Fashanu got away with an obvious hold on Sieler.
  • An illegal touching penalty was called back on Isaiah Davis after he went out of bounds and then tried to catch a pass in the end zone. The penalty didn't apply because it hit the ground first anyway but if he did catch it, the touchdown would not have stood. The defensive player shoved him out of bounds but that is allowed.
  • Wilson clearly got both feet down in bounds on his deep catch, although a better throw would have likely enabled him to keep running.
  • Wilson and Rodgers both wanted pass interference on Jordyn Brooks who seemed to have a hand around Wilson's waist on third down.
  • Wilson clearly established control on his diving sideline catch, on which both his knee and elbow were down inbounds.
  • Both teams called a timeout to avoid a delay of game.
  • Irv Charles was thrown into the sideline by a double-team block on one kickoff return.
  • Brandin Echols' timing was on point when he broke up a third down pass.
  • On the two-point conversion, Jaylen Waddle established control while he was across the goal line. Had he juggled it on the way down, even if he re-established control before he landed, this could have been an unsuccessful conversion.
  • Lazard gently shoved an opponent after a Wilson catch, then was shoved back and flopped dramatically to the ground. The officials were right not to flag this, although such flops should arguably be punishable as unsportsmanlike conduct.
  • Crucially, the officials missed a block in the back on Ashtyn Davis that would have negated the big kickoff return in the last minute.
  • Finally, Hill had a late catch on a play where he looked to have moved too early but he was able to slide sideways so this constituted legal motion. He then caught the ball for a first down on the play.

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