Penalty recap: Atlanta Falcons at Buffalo Bills

This was the third Buffalo Bills sport that featured Land Clark and his ragtag crew of officers. The primary two had questionable calls. Questionable NO-calls. And who can neglect the flat-out oddities like a reducing the pinnacle flag on a operating again or calling a flag not solely on the flawed staff however on a participant who was inactive. How did spherical three go? Let’s simply say Land Clark by no means disappoints. Or is it at all times?

Customary and Superior Metrics

Penalty Counts

The Bills, as they’ve a lot of the season, had extra penalties than common for each referred to as and assessed. The Atlanta Falcons ended up under league averages in each counting measures. Moreover, the final time the Bills had Land Clark officiating I stated we had probably reached a plateau of penalties at 6.31 per staff every sport. The flags have drifted decrease than I anticipated for league averages.

Penalty Yards

It’s no shock to see the Falcons underneath the league common for assessed yards, however it’s mildly shocking to see Buffalo as nicely (although not as a lot). With negated yards factored in, the Falcons additionally narrowly “beat” the Bills within the doubtful “True Yards” stat.

Penalty Hurt

Atlanta Falcons

A few these are ho-hum so let’s get them out of the best way. The delay of sport was fairly clear minimize and doubtless intentional to present their punter extra room. Jalen Mayfield’s holding name was declined on account of Matt Ryan getting sacked on the play. Talking of Jalen Mayfield…

The ineligible downfield was NOT declined and it was NOT offset. It occurred on the identical play because the roughing name on Ed Oliver (we’ll have a look at that one under). By rule, a five-yard flag can’t be offset with a 15-yarder. The “minor” penalty is negated and the “main” one is enforced. That is the appropriate name by Clark’s crew but it surely’s simply so bizarre to see it truly occur. So in fact we see it with Land “Effin” Clark on the sector. I don’t suppose that’s his precise nickname, but it surely’s what I’m going with.

That pair is in distinction to Shawn Williams’s pointless roughness for his scary hit on Stefon Diggs. That one offset with an unlawful crackback on Dawson Knox. Talking of strange, when’s the final time you noticed a crackback referred to as? Knox’s was solely quantity 4 on the season and it was most likely legit. Simply actually uncommon and a bit wacky. Land Clark, man. Land “Effin” Clark.

And we haven’t even talked about Matt Ryan but. The unlawful ahead move worn out 24 yards, one down, and the 5 yards it was assessed at for 3.9 Hurt. Matt Ryan technically will get to maintain the one yard speeding that made his move unlawful within the first place, which is humorous to me.

However nowhere close to as humorous because the taunting flag. No want for me to recap that one, however I’m nonetheless laughing. Trash speaking Jordan Poyer a few landing he by no means scored. Giving your self up with a head-first dive has been on the books, but it surely’s one more “don’t see utilized like that fairly often scenario.” For the aim of this text, the flag was assessed yards solely as technically the FLAG didn’t negate a landing, Matt Ryan’s horrible resolution to slip towards the top zone did.

How bizarre is it {that a} 3.2-Hurt-rated defensive move interference is without doubt one of the LEAST fascinating flags to speak about. Land. Effin. Clark.

The Falcons racked up 9.1 Hurt in whole, which is a fairly “meh” penalty efficiency.

Buffalo Bills

The offsides on Jerry Hughes is simple, as was the offsides on Taiwan Jones, the neutral-zone infraction on Eli Ankou, and the ineligible downfield name on Spencer Brown. In case you have questions on these, let me know within the feedback. The holding name on Taron Johnson was declined due to a pleasant chunk play by the Falcons and in addition isn’t one I believe wants a greater examination.

The unlawful shift on Gabe Davis worn out 4 yards along with the 5 assessed for 0.9 Hurt. It was additionally an excellent name as Davis adjustments his spot on the road and doesn’t come to a full cease earlier than the snap.

The move interference on Jordan Poyer is a traditional Land Clark head-scratcher. As referred to as, it was a seven-yard flag that gave up two downs and stored the Falcons’ drive alive. Jordan Poyer was at least ten yards away from… Effectively, everyone. Taron Johnson is probably going who they meant as he was seven yards deep and getting grabby. The flag was warranted, simply not referred to as on the appropriate man. Making it much more humorous, Poyer is the one change within the Most Needed record under and he didn’t even do something. Land “Effin” Clark.

Lastly, let’s have a look at that roughing-the-passer name on Ed Oliver.

I don’t like this name. Earlier than I clarify why, I’ll defend Land Clark on this one. I don’t prefer it, but it surely’s one hundred pc in step with how we’ve seen this referred to as all yr. Defenders could make contact “via” their first step after the ball is launched. As soon as the second step touches the bottom it’s a flag. The rule, although, is that the defender “should be attempting to keep away from contact.” I believe Ed Oliver is. Regardless of the try, forcible contact is meant to be referred to as so I suppose that’s why these are getting referred to as however I do know lots of people (myself included) who actually don’t contemplate this forcible.

Buffalo, drum roll please, had 7.9 Hurt whole. Regardless of the next rely and assessed yardage, the proprietary stat you’ll solely discover right here says that the Bills had a cleaner penalty sport than the Falcons. As a result of Land Clark, that’s why.

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