After Further Review: Jets-Titans

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

Titans 5-45 (leading to one Jets first down)
Jets 7-70 (leading to four Titans 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

  • Takk McKinley jumped offside. Clearly went a beat early.
  • Solomon Thomas jumped offside. He was held, though, to prevent him from getting into the backfield, so the penalties offset.
  • Chuck Clark horse collar tackle. This was clearly correct.
  • Clark late hit down the field. Led with the shoulder but clearly made forcible contact to the head/neck area.
  • Delay of game on Aaron Rodgers on the second play of the second half. This would be the last penalty of the game on the Jets.

Titans Penalties

  • Peter Skoronski hold on Thomas offset by the offside call as noted above.
  • Jeffrey Simmons roughing the passer to give the Jets a first down after a 3rd-and-15 incompletion. Clearly a penalty because he grabbed Rodgers' face mask.
  • Dillon Radunz holding on Javon Kinlaw. Obvious takedown after a terrific bull rush from Kinlaw.
  • False start on Darrell Baker Jr. The gunner flinched before the snap on a punt.

Penalties warranting further discussion or explanation

Jets Penalties

  • Intentional grounding on Aaron Rodgers. No receiver was in the vicinity and, although Rodgers just wasn't on the same page with Garrett Wilson and threw behind him rather than getting rid of the ball deliberately, it's been established that this will be flagged if the other conditions are met. Wasn't he outside the pocket though? Well, he was outside the left tackle when he threw it but not outside the position where he had lined up because the pocket had moved to the right. Unfortunately, it's the initial positioning that matters.
  • Defensive holding on Tony Adams. On this play the receiver clearly initiated the contact but Adams absorbed that contact and held onto his man for a second or two, so the call was justifiable.
  • Roughing the passer on Jermaine Johnson to negate a third down stop. Weak call because Johnson wasn't late and, although he remained upright, he pulled up so as not to make forcible contact. If there was any helmet-to-helmet contact, this would seem incidental.

Titans Penalties

  • Delay of game on L'Jarius Sneed. Garrett Wilson flinched but was induced into doing so by Sneed's "unnatural action".
  • Holding on Lloyd Cushenberry. Pulled outside and blocked Brandin Echols who didn't really offer much resistance. The holding call seemed a little harsh.

Notable no-calls etc

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

  • The officials missed a clear block in the back on Irv Charles as he was covering a punt.
  • Echols was down by contact after his interception although the play continued initially as someone tried to tackle him as he was celebrating. His helmet had fallen off anyway so the play would have been blown dead even if he didn't have control before being contacted while down (which he probably did).
  • The Jets used up three timeouts to prevent further delay of game calls. The play after the timeout was a good one each time - a 10-yard pass, a 26-yard touchdown pass and a 19-yard touchdown.
  • The Breece Hall touchdown was clearly a clean catch, but did he "survive the ground"? It actually looked like the ball slipped out of his grasp as he rolled over with a clear loss of control. Fortunately, the replay didn't show conclusively if his hand came off the ball and it may not have touched the turf anyway.
  • The Titans wanted a flag on Micheal Clemons as he dragged a ball carrier to the ground after the play was already blown dead.
  • The officials missed multiple holds and a face mask on the Titans' tackles.
  • Calvin Ridley should really have been marked down at the one-yard line on his touchdown catch. The ball hadn't crossed the goal line as Sauce Garnder's shin made contact with Ridley's leg.
  • The officials picked up a flag which was presumably for holding on a play where the Titans were stopped on 3rd down anyway.
  • Gardner got away with one as he held Ridley on the final series. The quarterback was scrambling at the time which means illegal contact won't be called but holding is holding and can be called in this situation.

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